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Paramount has appointed former New York Times opinion writer Bari Weiss to oversee CBS News, signaling the newest move by current leadership to restructure operations of a prominent American news organisations.

The company is additionally purchasing The Free Press, the digital outlet Weiss started after her acrimonious exit from the New York Times, in a agreement said to be worth $150 million.

Ms Weiss, who has criticised broadcast media for becoming overly political, said she was excited to shape CBS, which was taken over by David Ellison in recent months as part of a broader merger with Paramount.

Profile of the Appointee

Ms Weiss, who commenced her work at Jewish news outlets, is recognized for her advocacy of Israel and her questioning of "call-out culture".

From its inception as a newsletter in 2021, The Free Press has accumulated 1.5 million followers, including in excess of 170,000 paying members.

It has drawn attention for coverage such as a article skeptical of NPR by one of its previous business editors, as well as an investigation of some photographs used by mainstream news outlets to illustrate famine in Gaza.

Prominent contributors include historian Niall Ferguson and economist Tyler Cowen.

Vision for CBS

Mr Ellison said the hiring of Ms Weiss as chief editor was part of a broader effort to update coverage at Paramount and make CBS the "most credible name in news".

"We are convinced the bulk of the country longs for news that is balanced and fact-based, and we want CBS to be their home," he said.

Further Developments at CBS

Terms of the agreement were not revealed. Paramount refused to discuss reports that the firm had paid $150 million in equity and currency.

Mr Ellison built his career as a Hollywood movie maker of major films such as Top Gun Maverick, True Grit and World War Z.

He has said his objective is to produce coverage that is more balanced politically, and therefore has the capacity to reach all demographics.

His acquisition of Paramount was cleared by oversight bodies this recent period, after the company committed to pay $16 million to conclude a legal action.

To win approval of the deal, Mr Ellison committed to install an independent ombudsman at CBS to assess allegations of partiality and committed to authorities that coverage would showcase a variety of opinions.

He also said CBS's established political show "Face the Nation" would discontinue air edited interviews.

Alliance Facts

CBS News has a partnership agreement with a global news organization, meaning news material including visual material can be distributed.

In a statement declaring the agreement, Ms Weiss said she trusted in the Paramount executive and his executive staff.

"They are making significant investments because they support news. Because they have bravery. Because they love this country. And because they recognize, as we do, that America cannot thrive without shared information, common truths, and a shared perspective," she stated.