The appointment of a pro-Israel media figure and anti-woke attitude is due to American media companies feeling Trump’s pressure.
Released on October 6, 2025
US media conglomerate Paramount has announced a deal to secure the acquisition of commentary website Free Press and naming its founder, conservative media figure Bari Weiss, as editor-in-chief of CBS News.
Weiss’ appointment, known for her pro-Israel status and frequent criticism of “awakening” politics, lies in what critics call an effort to guide CBS in a more consistent direction with President Donald Trump’s administration.
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Paramount CEO David Ellison welcomed Weiss’ “Entrepreneurial Drive and Editorial Vision” on Monday.
“This move is part of Paramount’s bigger vision to modernize content, and part of how it connects directly and passionately with audiences around the world,” Ellison said in a statement.
The latest move follows the merger of Skydance Media and Paramount, which own CBS television networks, which were completed in August. According to a statement from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Kerr in July, the company promised the US government a greater “diversity of perspective” on CBS in its Skydance’s regulatory bid to buy Paramount.
Prior to that approval, Paramount also agreed to pay $16 million to resolve the honour-loss lawsuit filed by Trump in a 60-minute segment of the flagship CBS news program. Media Watchdog widely criticized the lawsuit as an unfounded effort to put pressure on news outlets in more favorable coverage.
Weiss reports directly, Ellison is the son of one of the world’s wealthiest men and tech businessman Larry Ellison, a Trump ally.
Weiss founded the Free Press in 2022 after leaving the New York Times. She had written that she was subjected to “continuous bullying” by her colleagues who disagreed with her opinion.
She styled herself as a true teller, often at odds with our legacy media. Recent free press articles have both adopted issues led by the Trump administration on the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program and vaccine skepticism.
However, the publication also faces conflict with mainstream Republicans in some instances, including key coverage of the party’s position on abortion.
Weiss’ approach has captivated prominent supporters, including venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and David Sacks, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and Hedge Fund Tycoon Paul Marshall.
The Free Press has recently been criticised for writing about Israeli war in Gaza. This includes articles that despite discoveries by the United Nations and medical groups, they questioned the hunger state of Israel’s lockdown as a result of the Israeli lockdown.
