The Paramount media company is preparing to acquire The Free Press news site, founded by Jewish journalist Bari Weiss, for over $100 million, according to a report by Puck, an online news outlet.
David Ellison, the head of Paramount, pitched Weiss on acquiring The Free Press in July and the two sides have since agreed to a deal and are finalizing an agreement, Puck reports, citing “a source with knowledge of the negotiations.”
Neither side has confirmed the report.
Ellison is expected to offer “well above” $100 million. As part of the deal, Ellison also plans to grant Weiss a a leading role at CBS News, part of the Paramount media network, the report says.
Weiss, a prominent critic of the far left, made a high-profile exit from The New York Times in 2020, saying she had been subjected to bullying from colleagues who had called her a “Nazi and a racist” and complained about her coverage of Jews.
The established The Free Press in 2022. Since then, the site has become a popular alternative to the perceived leftist slant of mainstream media outlets like The New York Times.
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