CBS News Boss Announces Big Shakeup & Warns Network Must Change
What To Know
- Bari Weiss met with CBS News staffers for a town hall meeting, where she outlined her plans for the future at the network.
- Weiss took over as CBS News’ editor-in-chief in October 2025.
- Her presentation explored transitioning CBS News to be “fit” for the 21st century, with a focus on meeting audiences where they are on digital platforms.
Three months after Bari Weiss took over as editor-in-chief for CBS News, she met with staffers to discuss her vision for the future of the network. Weiss has already been implementing changes at CBS News, and her town hall speech made it clear that this is just the beginning.
“I am here to make CBS News fit for purpose in the 21st century,” Weiss said. “Our industry has changed more in the last decade than in the last 150 years and the transformation isn’t over yet. It’s almost impossible to conceive of how fast things will move from here. And the one thing I can promise is that it’s going to be one hell of a fight.”
Weiss urged her staff to “look honestly at ourselves,” and admitted, “We are not producing a product that enough people want.” She explained, “Not enough people trust us. Not you. Us. As in: the mainstream media. We can debate ‘why’ that is, but the numbers tell the story.” Another reason for the company’s failure, she said, “We are not doing enough to meet audiences where they are, so they are leaving us.”
She pointed out that Americans are instead turning to podcasts, YouTube, Twitch, and newsletters to receive information. Weiss warned that the company needs to change their strategy of “[clinging] to the audience that remains on broadcast television.”
Weiss said that she and her team will now be putting a “huge emphasis on scoops. Not scoops that expire minutes later, but investigative scoops, and, crucially, scoops of ideas. Scoops of explanation.”
Here, in three posts, are the written remarks by Bari Weiss at today’s CBS News town hall meeting. Part one of three: pic.twitter.com/sLxfVeFkVW
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 27, 2026
She continued, “To cover America as it is, we in this building need to reflect more of the political friction that animates our national conversation. That means recruiting and hiring editors, reporters, producers, and correspondents about whom our viewers will say, ‘They understand me. They will give me a fair shake. They respect me.'” Weiss said she wants to “widen the aperture of the stories we tell and the voices we hear from and the people we listen to.”
Most importantly, Weiss insisted that CBS News needs to switch from a “linear mentality” to a “streaming mentality.” She explained, “As we move forward, we are not competing primarily for ratings, but for audience share. Our competitors are not just the other broadcast networks. We are competing for the attention of anyone in front of a screen.”
During her presentation, Weiss introduced a new group of contributors, including podcasters and writers such as Niall Ferguson and Caroline Chambers, and revealed her plans to bring in social media veterans from TikTok and YouTube to help bring her new vision to life.
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services