CBS News’ controversial Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss “doesn’t listen to anyone,” an insider claims, offering a fiery glimpse into the editorial team's dynamics as ratings plummet.
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ratings → listen → dynamics
Since Weiss was tapped to lead the newsroom last October under Paramount CEO David Ellison, who has courted President Donald Trump, a series of her editorial decisions has drawn scrutiny, including an overhaul of the network's top news show, 60 Minutes.
“She doesn’t hear anybody.
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She → tap → anybody
If you don’t agree with what she’s saying or doing, it doesn’t matter.
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it → agree → what
She pretends to hear ideas, but she really doesn’t listen to anyone,” an unnamed source told Page Six.
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source → pretend → Page
Weiss started to make waves months into her tenure over her choice to pull a 60 Minutes segment about Venezuelan migrants sent by the Trump administration to CECOT, an El Salvadoran prison accused of having inhumane conditions.
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Weiss → start → conditions
The segment aired nearly one month later.
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segment → air → ?
Then, in a single day last May, dubbed “Black Thursday,” 60 Minutes Executive Producer Tanya Simon was ousted, along with her deputy, Draggan Mihailovich, and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi.
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Simon → dub → deputy
Veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley was fired in early June after he reportedly accused Weiss of destroying the program.
“She is murdering 60 Minutes.
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She → fire → Minutes
She does not love this place.
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She → love → place
She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that,” Pelley said at a staff meeting, according to an audio recording obtained by The New York Times.
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Pelley → bring → Times
The network insider who spoke to Page Six insisted that no one can speak up against the boss.
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one → speak → boss
“No one can say, ‘That’s a bad idea.’
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That → say → ?
She looks at you like, ‘You don’t agree with what I’m saying,’ but there isn’t anybody who gets through to her,
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who → look → her
” the insider said.
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insider → say → ?
The network has continued to struggle with ratings for its iconic CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil at the helm.
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network → continue → helm
Dokoupil had co-hosted CBS Mornings for years before he took over CBS Evening News under Weiss.
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he → co → Weiss
The move was criticized, with one network staffer telling The Independent last January that Dokoupil has turned the program into “state TV.”
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Dokoupil → criticize → TV
CBS Evening News averaged 4.04 million total viewers this past season, down negative 3 percent, Adweek reported late last month, citing data from Nielsen Media Research.
60 Minutes, which the network calls America’s most-watched TV program, also saw ratings slip.
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ratings → average → which
While the numbers were up compared to the second week of last season, they are below last season’s average of 8.16 million viewers.
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they → compare → viewers
Amid the backlash against Weiss, another network insider offered a different perspective.
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insider → offer → perspective
“There’s constant input from the entire news organization, and [Weiss] frequently commends the points raised by people” during editorial meetings, the insider told Page Six.
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insider → ’ → meetings
“I think most senior leaders across the organization think that she brings a ton of value with her ideas and perspective, and would also say that she is a great listener, who incorporates many other ideas and suggestions into the organization’s work,” the source said.
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source → think → work
The Independent has reached out to CBS for comment.
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Independent → reach → comment
The Aporia
