Paramount denies Bari Weiss is being sidelined from CBS News and 60 Minutes in favor of more experienced hands

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Paramount Skydance pushed back against a report suggesting CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss could be demoted amid concerns about her lack of experience and mounting negative press coverage.

On Monday, Puck News reported that senior executives have been discussing whether Weiss should “cede day-to-day control” of the flagship program 60 Minutes, as well as CBS Mornings and the CBS Evening News, with insiders griping she is “drastically overstretched.” Should Paramount complete its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, the same would apply to Weiss’s potential responsibilities regarding CNN, which is owned by Warner Bros.

The company quickly rejected that characterization. A Paramount spokesperson told The Independent: “Bari has the full support of Paramount and David Ellison as the editorial leader overseeing CBS News and 60 Minutes. Reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate.”

Weiss, who describes herself as a “radical centrist” and who founded the digital outlet The Free Press, has faced sustained scrutiny since taking the top editorial role at CBS News late last year. Detractors argue she has steered coverage in ways that blatantly favor the Trump administration and the Israeli government, while others question whether she is equipped to manage a newsroom of that scale.

Weiss, 42, has said she operates independently and is implementing changes she believes are necessary to restore credibility to a legacy media company that has lost public trust.

Paramount disputed a report that claims its executives are considering scaling back editor-in-chief Bari Weiss’s role due to concerns about her experience (Getty Images for Uber, X and The)

In his report, Puck News’s Dylan Byers said discussions about Weiss’s leadership have been “informal,” with no official decisions having been made.

Still, sources familiar with the matter told Puck that Weiss could lose oversight of day-to-day news operations, with a more seasoned executive stepping in to replace her. Under that scenario, her role would shift toward focusing on digital growth.

The report added that Paramount could look outside the company for a replacement, potentially tapping former CBS News president David Rhodes.

“The conversations, I’m told, reflect Paramount leadership’s newfound acceptance that Bari was given too broad a mandate for someone without previous experience in television, as well as some irritation with the ceaseless barrage of negative press,” Byers wrote.

After Weiss elevated Tony Dokoupil (left) to anchor CBS Evening News, critics have accused him of going soft in his coverage of the Trump administration (Getty Images for Semafor World E)

A Columbia University graduate and former opinion writer at The New York Times, Weiss was selected by Paramount CEO David Ellison to lead CBS News in October, following the company’s $150 million acquisition of The Free Press.

She vowed to overhaul the network, promising “comprehensive and fair” coverage and a turnaround in sagging ratings driven by “viral” moments. But ratings have largely stalled, and her leadership has been dogged by recurring controversy.

One flashpoint came in December, when Weiss spiked a 60 Minutes segment detailing harsh conditions in a Latin American prison where the Trump administration deported Venezuelan migrants. The report ultimately aired nearly a month later.

Her promotion — and reported micromanagement — of CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil has also drawn scrutiny. Dokoupil aired a favorable, lighthearted segment on Secretary of State Marco Rubio and featured pro-Israel commentators, prompting critics to accuse the network of abandoning impartiality.

In April, Weiss and other Paramount executives reportedly attended a private dinner in Washington with President Donald Trump and senior administration officials. The meeting, held as the administration considers approving Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros., struck some observers as highly unusual.

Some top talent has also fled amid the shakeup. On Sunday, Anderson Cooper signed off for the last time as an anchor at 60 Minutes, taking a rare shot at the network’s leadership, stating: “I hope 60 Minutes remains 60 Minutes.”

Privately, Weiss has expressed deep frustration with the backlash to her decisions, at times faulting subordinates for failing to keep the criticism contained, according to The New York Times.

The Independent has reached out to CBS News for comment.