Bari Weiss’ public profile rose considerably back in October 2025 when David Ellison named her the editor-in-chief of CBS News. Since then, a number of pundits – those who’ve worked for the Eye Network and those who haven’t – have been weighing in on Weiss’ approach to the job. Although some have spoken out in support of the journalist/political commentator, others have criticized several of the decisions she’s made. Now, Weiss is opening up about her biggest goal for the company.
Just recently, Weiss took part in a public discussion held by Information, a technology-centric news outlet. It was during that conversation that she discussed various topics, including the concerns regarding 60 Minutes’ recent ratings decrease. Weiss was asked directly about her vision for CBS News after having been outspoken about wanting to act as a voice for “the 75% that aren’t served.” Weiss then spoke about navigating news in this social and political landscape before saying that her vision was built on one detail – trust:
Everyone in this room knows that we’re living in an era of collapsing trust. And so that is first and foremost the goal – build a news organization, a mass news organization that is deserving of trust. I think, a lot of times people talk about, ‘We have a crisis in trust.’ No, we have a crisis in trustworthiness. A lot of media organizations, especially in the mainstream, especially over the past decade, either ignored or misconstrued major stories that ere of incredible, national, even international significance. And so that is the reality, that is the landscape in which I’m building CBS.
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Trust has been a significant topic of discussion regarding CBS News since Weiss began running the outlet. Amid her tenure, there have been claims of editorial partiality, with some former employees claiming they were pressured to insert what they considered to be bias into their reporting. Weiss herself has denied the allegations of “journalistic interference” and, based on the comments she shared at the recent discussion (via YouTube) she’s looking to build trustworthiness.
Alleged editorial bias isn’t the only reason some have taken issue with Weiss. Before being hired to join CBS, she founded an online media outlet, The Free Press, which was purchased by the now-defunct Paramount Skydance. Former 60 Minutes alum Scott Pelley – who was fired for allegedly accusing Weiss of “murdering” the show – has spoken about her apparent lack of experience in traditional broadcast journalism. Pelley argues that his former workplace is in need of “adult supervision.” Despite the issues with Weiss’ background, she seems keen on taking elements of both traditional and non-traditional practices:
The second thing, and we’ve done this, I think, in a really powerful way at The Free Press — obviously CBS is totally different scale — is how do you marry the energy and vibrancy and vitality of the independent creator world, for lack of a better term, and marry it to the rigor and standards of great news organizations like the ones that we work for?
While Pelley and veteran broadcaster Dan Rather have expressed disapproval of Weiss’ work, some of her current employees have come to her defense. Current CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil said he hadn’t experienced any news bias and spoke positively of Weiss’ leadership. Sir Trevor Phillips – CBS News’ newly hired senior global affairs correspondent and 60 Minutes contributor – also defended Weiss’ running of the brand. Phillips made note of his boss’ attempts to build an effective, new team moving forward.
With the media landscape continuing to evolve, it’s likely that CBS News will have to further confront changes in one way or another. Time will tell, of course, how Bari Weiss and co. choose to respond to shifts in the industry.
