Free Republic

PBS fired two diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) executives and scrapped the department after Bari Weiss’ online publication Free Press was tipped off that the broadcaster was ignoring President Trump’s executive order eliminating the controversial initiative. On Monday, PBS CEO Paula Kerger informed staff that it was parting ways with Cecilia Loving, senior vice president of DEI, and Gina Leow, director of DEI. In the email, Kerger explained that the departures were necessary in order to adhere to Trump’s executive order from Jan. 20, which mandates the elimination of DEI-focused positions and funding in federally supported organizations. “I know you...

Accused murderer Tyler Robinson 'clearly' had 'leftist ideology,' Utah gov has said CBS News has quietly deleted a tweet of an interview in which an anchor claimed that the motive of Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, "remains elusive," even though Utah governor Spencer Cox (R.) has revealed that Robinson "clearly" had a "leftist ideology." "Five days after Charlie Kirk's murder, the shooter's motive remains elusive—no writings left behind, vague, secondhand testimony," CBS Evening News Plus anchor John Dickerson said Monday, according to a video included in the now-deleted X post. Dickerson went on to describe Kirk's assassination "may share...

NEW YORK (AP) — Skydance and Paramount officially closed their $8 billion merger on Thursday — kicking off the reign of a new entertainment giant after a contentious, over year-long endeavor to get the transaction over the finish line. The new company — which will trade under the “PSKY” ticker on Wall Street — brings Paramount’s legacy Hollywood footprint, major TV networks like CBS and MTV, streaming services and more under the roof of a new power player: billionaire Skydance founder David Ellison. “Today marks an exciting and pivotal moment as we prepare to bring Paramount’s legacy as a Hollywood...

Paramount Skydance is poised to name Bari Weiss as editor in chief of CBS News in the coming days — giving the hard-charging journalist unusual clout to revamp the struggling network as it also acquires her scrappy news site the Free Press, The Post has learned. Weiss — a 41-year-old former New York Times opinion writer who has built the Free Press into a buzzworthy site with a contrarian bent — is expected to be named to the top post in a Monday announcement, although the talks are in flux and the timing could change, a source close to the...

Liberals are up in arms over reports that independent journalist Bari Weiss is eyeing a top role at CBS News as the new Paramount chief is inching closer to striking a major deal with her. Puck News reported Wednesday that Paramount CEO David Ellison, who just took over the company last month after his $8 billion merger with Skydance, is at the "one-yard line" with his plans to buy Weiss' online publication, The Free Press, and appoint her to a top editorial position at the struggling broadcast network. Weiss, a classical liberal who famously exited The New York Times in...

Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather weighed in on David Ellison’s hire of Bari Weiss as editor in chief at CBS News, warning that it portends a culture of fear in the news division as staffers worry about their jobs. On his Substack, Steady, Rather put Weiss’ hire in the context of the Skydance-Paramount merger, noting that the companies bowed to pressure from the Trump administration in order to get the transaction approved by the FCC. “That deal and the hiring of Weiss signals to everyone, especially to the man in the Oval Office, that CBS is no longer...