Paramount looks to buy Bari Weiss’ Free Press for over $100 million
Weiss may get a senior role at CBS
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, who grew up in Pittsburgh, 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. PJC
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