Paramount looks to buy Bari Weiss’s Free Press for over $100 million, give her senior role at CBS — report

Luke Tress is The Times of Israel's New York correspondent.

US journalist Bari Weiss during an interview with ex-MK Einat Wilf (not in picture), at the Jaffa Hotel Chapel on January 28, 2024. (Tel Aviv International Salon)
US journalist Bari Weiss during an interview with ex-MK Einat Wilf (not in picture), at the Jaffa Hotel Chapel on January 28, 2024. (Tel Aviv International Salon)

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.

Most Popular
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.