Paramount Skydance has refuted claims that CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss might be demoted due to concerns over her lack of experience and growing negative media attention.
On Monday, Puck News reported that senior executives have been considering whether Weiss should "cede day-to-day control" of the flagship program 60 Minutes, as well as CBS Mornings and the CBS Evening News. Insiders reportedly expressed that she is "drastically overstretched." If Paramount completes its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, the same would apply to Weiss’s potential responsibilities regarding CNN, which is owned by Warner Bros.
The company quickly denied these claims. A Paramount spokesperson told The Independent: “Bari has the full support of Paramount and David Ellison as the editorial leader overseeing CBS News and 60 Minutes. Reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate.”
Weiss, who identifies as a “radical centrist” and founded the digital outlet The Free Press, has faced continuous criticism since taking the top editorial role at CBS News late last year. Critics argue she has influenced coverage in ways that clearly favor the Trump administration and the Israeli government, while others question if she is capable of managing a newsroom of that size.
Weiss, 42, has stated that she operates independently and is implementing changes she believes are necessary to restore credibility to a legacy media company that has lost public trust.
In his report, Puck News’s Dylan Byers mentioned that discussions about Weiss’s leadership have been “informal,” with no official decisions made yet. However, sources familiar with the matter told Puck that Weiss could lose oversight of day-to-day news operations, with a more experienced executive stepping in to replace her. In this scenario, her role would shift towards focusing on digital growth.
The report also indicated that Paramount might look outside the company for a replacement, possibly reaching out to former CBS News president David Rhodes.
“The conversations, I’m told, reflect Paramount leadership’s newfound acceptance that Bari was given too broad a mandate for someone without previous experience in television, as well as some irritation with the ceaseless barrage of negative press,” Byers wrote.
A Columbia University graduate and former opinion writer at The New York Times, Weiss was chosen by Paramount CEO David Ellison to lead CBS News in October, following the company’s $150 million acquisition of The Free Press.
She promised to overhaul the network, pledging “comprehensive and fair” coverage and a turnaround in declining ratings driven by “viral” moments. However, ratings have largely stagnated, and her leadership has been plagued by recurring controversy.
One notable incident occurred in December, when Weiss delayed a 60 Minutes segment detailing harsh conditions in a Latin American prison where the Trump administration deported Venezuelan migrants. The report eventually aired nearly a month later.
Her promotion—and reported micromanagement—of CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil has also drawn scrutiny. Dokoupil aired a favorable, lighthearted segment on Secretary of State Marco Rubio and featured pro-Israel commentators, prompting critics to accuse the network of abandoning impartiality.
In April, Weiss and other Paramount executives reportedly attended a private dinner in Washington with President Donald Trump and senior administration officials. The meeting, held as the administration considers approving Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros., struck some observers as highly unusual.
Some top talent has also left amid the upheaval. On Sunday, Anderson Cooper signed off for the last time as an anchor at 60 Minutes, making a rare comment on the network’s leadership, stating: “I hope 60 Minutes remains 60 Minutes.”
Privately, Weiss has shown deep frustration with the backlash to her decisions, at times blaming subordinates for failing to contain the criticism, according to The New York Times.
The Independent has reached out to CBS News for comment.
The Independent stands for many things, often uniquely so. It stands independent of political party allegiance, and makes its own mind up on the issues of the day. The Independent has always been committed to challenge and debate. It launched in 1986 to create a new voice and in that time has run campaigns for issues ranging from the legalisation of marijuana to the Final Say Brexit petition.
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