Paramount has named former NYT columnist Bari Weiss to direct CBS News, signaling the most recent step by recent acquirers to restructure activities of a major US news networks.
Paramount is also purchasing The Free Press, the digital outlet Weiss founded after her contentious exit from the New York Times, in a arrangement reported to be worth $150 million.
Ms Weiss, who has criticised broadcast media for becoming excessively biased, said she was eager to influence CBS, which was purchased by David Ellison recently as part of a wider merger with Paramount.
Profile of the Appointee
Ms Weiss, who started her career at Jewish media organizations, is known for her advocacy of Israel and her criticism of "call-out culture".
Since its start as a digital bulletin in 2021, The Free Press has gained 1.5 million readers, including more than 170,000 subscribing supporters.
It has garnered notice for coverage such as a feature critical of NPR by one of its previous business editors, as well as an examination of some images used by traditional journalism to illustrate famine in Gaza.
Big name writers include scholar Niall Ferguson and economic thinker Tyler Cowen.
Vision for CBS
Mr Ellison said the hiring of Ms Weiss as chief editor was part of a bigger effort to update content at Paramount and make CBS the "most reliable name in news".
"We think the greater part of the country desires news that is fair and fact-based, and we want CBS to be their destination," he said.
More Change at CBS
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Paramount would not address stories that the company had paid $150 million in shares and money.
Mr Ellison established his reputation as a Hollywood movie maker of blockbusters such as Top Gun Maverick, True Grit and World War Z.
He has said his goal is to produce coverage that is more balanced politically, and therefore has the ability to reach all viewers.
His acquisition of Paramount was cleared by oversight bodies this summer, after the company agreed to pay $16 million to settle a court case.
To win approval of the deal, Mr Ellison pledged to install an impartial arbitrator at CBS to assess complaints of prejudice and vowed to authorities that programming would showcase a variety of view points.
He further said CBS's established political show "Face the Nation" would cease to air altered conversations.
Alliance Facts
CBS News has a partnership agreement with a global news organization, meaning news reporting including video footage can be shared.
In a statement declaring the agreement, Ms Weiss said she believed in the Paramount leader and his management group.
"They are making significant investments because they support news. Because they have bravery. Because they value this country. And because they appreciate, as we do, that America cannot succeed without common facts, universal realities, and a shared perspective," she stated.
