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Paramount has selected ex- NYT columnist Bari Weiss to oversee CBS News, marking the newest step by new owners to reorganize activities of a major US news organisations.

Paramount is also purchasing The Free Press, the online publication Weiss established after her disputed separation from the New York Times, in a arrangement said to be worth $150 million.

Ms Weiss, who has challenged broadcast media for becoming overly political, said she was enthusiastic to influence CBS, which was taken over by David Ellison recently as part of a wider merger with Paramount.

Profile of the New Leader

Ms Weiss, who began her professional journey at Jewish publications, is known for her support of Israel and her skepticism of "woke culture".

Since its start as a newsletter in 2021, The Free Press has gained 1.5 million followers, including over 170,000 paid subscribers.

It has drawn attention for reports such as a article critical of NPR by one of its former business editors, as well as an examination of some photos used by traditional journalism to depict famine in Gaza.

Notable authors include historian Niall Ferguson and economic thinker Tyler Cowen.

Vision for CBS

Mr Ellison said the appointment of Ms Weiss as editor-in-chief was part of a larger campaign to update programming at Paramount and make CBS the "most-trusted name in news".

"We believe the greater part of the country desires news that is balanced and fact-based, and we want CBS to be their home," he said.

Additional Shifts at CBS

Specifics of the agreement were not disclosed. Paramount declined to comment accounts that the firm had paid $150 million in stock and cash.

Mr Ellison made his name as a Hollywood movie maker of hit movies such as Top Gun Maverick, True Grit and World War Z.

He has said his objective is to produce reporting that is more balanced politically, and therefore has the ability to reach all viewers.

His purchase of Paramount was approved by oversight bodies this summer, after the company committed to pay $16 million to settle a legal action.

To secure clearance of the deal, Mr Ellison pledged to establish an external reviewer at CBS to examine complaints of bias and committed to authorities that coverage would reflect a diversity of opinions.

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

Alliance Facts

CBS News has a collaborative arrangement with an international broadcaster, meaning news material including recorded segments can be distributed.

In a note revealing the deal, Ms Weiss said she believed in the Paramount leader and his executive staff.

"They are making significant investments because they believe in news. Because they have bravery. Because they value this country. And because they appreciate, as we do, that America cannot succeed without mutual understanding, agreed principles, and a shared perspective," she commented.