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Bari Weiss is now the top editor at CBS News, and she’s starting day one with an “open mind” and a sense of urgency, according to a memo she sent to the newsroom on Monday.
Weiss, a former New York Times opinion writer who founded the anti-establishment media company, “The Free Press,” just sold her company to CBS News owner Paramount. As part of the deal, Weiss is now editor-in-chief of CBS News, while “The Free Press” will continue to operate separately.
In her introductory memo, obtained by Business Insider, Weiss listed 10 core journalistic values she would champion at CBS News, including remaining “fair, fearless, and factual” and holding “both American political parties to equal scrutiny.”
Some current and former CBS News employees told Business Insider they were wary of Weiss taking charge of the nearly 100-year-old newsroom. A former CBS News staffer said they wondered how Weiss, who has a commentary background and history of taking stances on hot-button issues, would approach managing a straight-news operation.
Weiss said in a statement that the deal would allow The Free Press’ “ethos of fearless, independent journalism to reach an enormous, diverse, and influential audience.”
“We honor the extraordinary legacy of CBS News by committing ourselves to a singular mission: building the most trusted news organization of the 21st Century,” she said.
Paramount CEO David Ellison said Weiss “is a proven champion of independent, principled journalism, and I am confident her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will invigorate CBS News.”
Read the full memo that Weiss sent to CBS News employees below:
Dear Colleagues:
I am thrilled and humbled to be writing to you as the new editor-in-chief of CBS News.
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Growing up, CBS was a deep family tradition. Whenever I hear that tick, tick, tick or that trumpet fanfare, it sends me right back to our den in Pittsburgh. The opportunity to build on that legacy with you—and to renew it in an era that so desperately needs it—is an extraordinary privilege.
Right now, I imagine you have some questions. I do, too.
My goal in the coming days and weeks is to get to know you. I want to hear from you about what’s working, what isn’t, and your thoughts on how we can make CBS News the most trusted news organization in America and the world. I’ll approach it the way any reporter would—with an open mind, a fresh notebook, and an urgent deadline.
What I can tell you on day one is that I stand for the same core journalistic values that have defined this profession since the beginning, and I will continue to champion them alongside you:
Journalism that reports on the world as it actually is.Journalism that is fair, fearless, and factual.Journalism that respects our audience enough to tell the truth plainly—wherever it leads.Journalism that makes sense of a noisy, confusing world.Journalism that explains things clearly, without pretension or jargon.Journalism that holds both American political parties to equal scrutiny.Journalism that embraces a wide spectrum of views and voices so that the audience can contend with the best arguments on all sides of a debate.Journalism that rushes toward the most interesting and important stories, regardless of their unpopularity.Journalism that uses all of the tools of the digital era.Journalism that understands that the best way to serve America is to endeavor to present the public with the facts, first and foremost.
I look forward to meeting many of you in the days ahead and to listening and learning from you. I am profoundly honored to join you—and I can’t wait to get started.
With gratitude and excitement,
Bari
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