Bari Weiss, the new editor-in-chief of CBS News, is reportedly eyeing fresh talent to anchor the network’s flagship evening newscast — including Bret Baier of Fox News. Baier’s candidacy was first reported by the media news website Status, which revealed Weiss has been “quietly canvassing” for a new face for “CBS Evening News.”
But at least one potential obstacle could prevent or at least delay Baier’s hiring.
According to Status, Baier’s contract with Fox runs through 2028, which may make a move to CBS in the near future unlikely. Meanwhile, Weiss is reportedly looking into other internal talent like Norah O’Donnell and Tony Dokoupil.
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Baier’s potential hiring could be part of a perceived shift to the right at CBS since Weiss’ arrival following the sale of the network’s parent company, Paramount. Ad Fontes Media says that while Baier’s reporting is reliable, his bias rating shows that he “skews right” and is on the verge of a “strong right” rating.
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CBS News was established in 1927 and was a trailblazer in broadcasting technology, including color and digital transmissions.
Before Weiss’ hiring, CBS appointed an ombudsman to review complaints about news coverage who came from a conservative think tank but had no significant media experience. The move came after Paramount paid $16 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump, who claimed an interview last year with former Vice President Kamala Harris was edited to help her presidential campaign.
Weiss already shaking things up
Weiss came to CBS from The Free Press, which she founded with her spouse, Nellie Bowles. Paramount Skydance acquired the center-right news and opinion site for roughly $150 million on Oct. 6 as part of Weiss’ deal with CEO David Ellison to join CBS. She remains The Free Press’ editor-in-chief.
She also has made her presence known at CBS, emailing staff to ask how they spend their work days while encouraging them to “be blunt,” according to Business Insider, which received a copy of the memo.
She reportedly said in the email that the employees’ answers would be used for one-on-one conversations “to know that we are aligned on achieving a shared vision for CBS News.”
Former CBS News anchor Dan Rather criticized the decision to hire Weiss as chief editor, pointing out that David Ellison is the son of Larry Ellison, a strong Trump supporter. Rather called Weiss an “anti-woke” journalist and expressed concern that she could shift network coverage to promote Trump’s policies.
