Key Takeaways
- Bari Weiss's appointment as editor-in-chief of CBS News generated controversy, including a reported $150 million payout.
- Guest David Klion critically assesses Weiss's rise, citing her ruthlessness and strategic use of wealthy backers for her media projects.
- Weiss's career included roles at The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, where she cultivated a niche critical of 'woke' culture.
- Her independent venture, The Free Press, employs a narrative strategy appealing to liberals alienated by institutional orthodoxies.
- Concerns exist among CBS News employees regarding Weiss's lack of direct TV news management and potential editorial intervention.
Deep Dive
- Bari Weiss's appointment as editor-in-chief of CBS News involved a reported $150 million payout, with guest David Klion presenting a critical view of her rise.
- Klion expressed concern for media following Weiss's appointment, having spoken out against her since approximately 2018.
- He characterized Weiss as resilient, ruthless, and clever, adept at leveraging wealthy individuals like David Ellison for her agenda.
- The $150 million compensation for Weiss and 'The Free Press' was framed as an ideological decision and power play by billionaires.
- Weiss gained notoriety at Columbia for efforts to 'cancel or deplatform' professors discussing Israel, demonstrating an early understanding of using a megaphone for attention.
- She held positions at The Wall Street Journal, influenced by conservative columnist Brett Stevens, and later at The New York Times, recruiting conservative contributors and developing a beat critical of 'woke' culture.
- Tensions at The New York Times, including the controversial Senator Tom Cotton op-ed, led to her departure in 2020.
- Her resignation was described as a strategic move that garnered support from wealthy reactionaries like Mark Andreessen and David Sachs, funding her subsequent projects.
- The Free Press, founded by Weiss, is characterized as laundering conservative narratives and appealing to liberals who feel alienated by current institutional orthodoxies.
- Its publications often feature a recurring trope of self-described progressives questioning tenets like transgender identities.
- This media strategy aims at affluent and educated individuals within liberal institutions who privately hold reactionary views, gaining influence during the Trump administration.
- The guest questioned Bari Weiss's qualifications for leading CBS News, citing her lack of direct TV news management experience and an unsuccessful audition for 'The View'.
- Weiss's media success is attributed to appealing to a niche audience and specific billionaires, including Bill Ackman and Jeff Bezos, rather than broad public appeal.
- The decline of TV news, with its aging audience and unprofitability, may have influenced recent decisions at CBS News.
- Anonymous CBS News employees have expressed concern about Weiss's leadership, viewing her as a 'hall monitor' who may intervene in news decisions, potentially regarding coverage of Israel.
- The guest speculated that Weiss could influence which reporters are laid off, particularly those deemed insufficiently sympathetic to Israel.
- Employees were advised to 'panic,' consider other job opportunities, or document issues through public resignation letters if their work becomes untenable.
- The guest posited that Weiss may ultimately fail in her role because the television news medium itself is failing, likening the position to a 'dummy prize.'