NEW YORK CITY, New York: Paramount has acquired The Free Press, the news and commentary website founded by Bari Weiss, and appointed her as the new editor-in-chief of CBS News, an unexpected move that puts a self-styled contrarian voice at the helm of one of America's oldest broadcast networks.

The company said this week it believes the country is hungry for "balanced, fact-based journalism." Weiss, known for challenging ideological conformity and criticizing "woke" culture, will report directly to Paramount's chief executive David Ellison, and work alongside CBS News President Tom Cibrowski.

"I am confident her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will invigorate CBS News," Ellison said, calling the move part of a broader push to modernize the network. Ellison took charge this summer after his firm, Skydance, purchased Paramount.

The sale price for The Free Press was not disclosed. Weiss launched the platform in 2021 after resigning as an opinion editor at The New York Times, saying she faced "a culture of intolerance" and internal bullying over her views. The site has since attracted 1.5 million subscribers.

The editor-in-chief position is new for CBS News. Ellison said Weiss would "shape editorial priorities, champion core values across platforms and lead innovation in how the organization reports and delivers the news."

In a letter to CBS employees, Weiss said she grew up watching CBS with her family in Pittsburgh and plans to spend her first weeks getting to know the staff. "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," she wrote.

Weiss will continue to oversee The Free Press, which will expand under Paramount's ownership. She said the partnership would help "reshape CBS News" and reach "mainstream Americans," she described as "politically mixed and pragmatic."

The appointment comes amid unease within CBS News, where some staffers fear a shift toward a more Trump-friendly posture. The Paramount–Skydance merger was approved soon after the administration settled a lawsuit with 60 Minutes. Ellison recently hired Kenneth Weinstein, a conservative think-tank leader and Trump donor, as an ombudsman.

Dan Rather, who anchored the CBS Evening News until 2005, said he hoped Weiss would take time to understand the newsroom before making significant changes. "There is tremendous pressure to bend the knee to the Trump administration," he told the AP. "The fear is that this appointment is part of that overall play."

Weiss, who has described herself as a centrist, has little broadcast experience. However, her writing often appeals to readers who are critical of progressive politics but uneasy with Trumpism. In an essay this week, she said she would uphold journalism's "fair, fearless, and factual" traditions.

Ellison and Weiss both emphasized a shared goal: rebuilding trust in journalism by rejecting partisanship. "When we reduce every issue to ‘us vs. them,' we stop listening and learning," Ellison wrote to staff. "We each have a responsibility to do our part."