Paramount announced today it's acquiring the free press. The Independent News and Commentary

website founded in 2021 by Barry Weiss. As part of the $150 million deal, Weiss will also take on a new

role at CBS News as editor-in-chief. A former opinion editor at the New York Times, Weiss describes

herself as a centrist politically

and is known for pushing back against what she calls woke orthodoxy in mainstream media.

She alleged a culture of intolerance when she resigned from the Times.

After the announcement, Weiss posted a video message saying, in part, this.

What does it mean for CBS News? It means a redoubled commitment to great journalism.

It means building on a storied legacy and bringing that historic newsroom into 2025 and beyond.

Most of all, it means working tirelessly to make sure CBS is the most trusted news organization in the world.

For more on what this means for CBS News and the broader media landscape, I'm joined by Oliver

Darcy. He's founder and lead author of the media newsletter status. He also co-hosts his

podcast called Power Lines. Oliver, welcome to the NewsHour. Thanks for joining us.

Thank you for having me. So before we talk about what this all mean, just tell us a little

bit more about Barry Weiss. I mean, this is someone who criticized Trump in his first term. She's

also staunchly defended Israel, decried woke culture in colleges and media. How would you

describe her voice and her role

in the media landscape? Sure. I think she's unquestionably, and she probably would

concede this herself, a very polarizing figure. She is someone who is difficult to really put in

one bucket. You wouldn't say she's, for instance, a MAGA, media, personality, but she's certainly

not on the left either.

I think the best way actually to maybe describe her is what she stands against, what she

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