Bari Weiss adds contributors, encourages talent to become their own ‘brands’

During a previously announced “all hands” meeting, CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss showcased her vision for the future of the division, a shift that includes relying on more contributors, becoming more nimble and encouraging its on-air personalities to become their own brands. 

“I’m not going to stand up here today and ask you for your trust. I’m going to earn it, just like we have to do with our viewers,” Weiss said, according to multiple publications that obtained audio recordings of the event. 

Weiss emphasized that the public has lost trust in the “mainstream media,” citing a Gallup poll that showed 28% of Americans trust the media a “great deal” or “fair amount,” down from 31%. 

She also called CBS News “the best-capitalized media startup in the world,” a reference to its parent network’s recent merger with Skydance Media.

Some of her key goals are aligned with upper management’s pledge to offer more diverse perspectives on its productions. At the Jan. 27, 2026, event she also announced that the network has inked deals with a slate of paid contributors including Niall Ferguson, Andrew Huberman, Caroline Chambers and Casey Lewis. 

The network will also hire journalists who will be focused on digital-first initiatives. Separate reports have indicated that CBS News is headed for significant layoffs, though that issue was not mentioned at the Jan. 27 meeting.

She also announced the network will put a huge emphasis on investigative scoops, though it was not clear how resources might be aligned to enable this type of reporting. 

Her presentation also included observations about how the media industry has shifted drastically, with many consumers’ now accessing more news and how legacy media companies such as CBS News need to adapt in the face of these shifting patterns. 

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Weiss continued emphasizing the notion that the news division is a startup by pointing out the future of the network may not be for everyone.

“If that’s not your bag, that’s OK. It’s a free country and I completely respect if you decide this is just not the right place at the right time for you,” she reportedly said.

Weiss also told staffers that she’d like to turn CBS News reporters in their own brands, using CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin as an example. In the same vein, she also mentioned bringing presumably lesser-know creators on board so they can use the network’s resources to boost their name recognition into brand status.

A key point of the meeting came when she was asked to respond to criticism that she is changing CBS News into “a right-wing network,” according to one audio recording. 

“I’m here to do one thing. It’s not to be a mouthpiece for anybody. It’s simply to be a mouthpiece for fairness and the pursuit of truth,” she reportedly said. 

She was also questioned if the newsroom’s editorial standards have changed since her arrival and responded that she didn’t think so. She also mentioned that she was not pressured to yank a “60 Minutes” segment on El Salvadoran detention centers being used to hold alleged undocumented people who were forcibly removed from the U.S.