CBS Chief Bari Weiss Tells Staff ‘We’re Toast’ if Strategy Doesn’t Change

CBS News is standing on shaky ground, and its head honcho Bari Weiss may have just confirmed it.

In a meeting on Tuesday, January 27, Weiss, 41, told employees that if the current strategy continues, “we’re toast,” according to The Associated Press.

Weiss, who assumed the role of Editor-in-Chief three months ago and is founder of The Free Press website, announced that 18 new contributors have been hired. She reportedly said CBS News journalists need to focus on stories that will “surprise and provoke — including inside our own newsroom.”

Her vision has raised questions recently, particularly after CBS decided to postpone airing a 60 Minutes story critiquing President Donald Trump’s deportation policy in December — though it eventually aired in January — leading some viewers to wonder if the network was becoming more friendly to the administration.

Weiss also shared her remarks with staff members in writing, according to the AP. She reflected on CBS’ history, invoking Walter Cronkite, the former CBS broadcast journalist called the “most trusted man in America” in the 1960s and 1970s.

“We can’t reverse time’s arrow,” she said, per the outlet. “He had two competitors. We have two billion, give or take.”

She added that “not enough people trust” CBS. “Our strategy until now has been to cling to the audience that remains on broadcast television. If we stick to that strategy, we’re toast.”

Weiss discussed the importance of shifting to a streaming mentality, saying CBS should become a birthplace of new mediums like podcasts and newsletters. She added that the focus will be on delivering scoops.

“Not scoops that expire minutes later. But investigative scoops. And, crucially, scoops of ideas. Scoops of explanation. This is where we can soar — and where we’ll be investing,” she clarified.

Describing CBS as the “best capitalized media start-up in the world,” Weiss acknowledged that “start-ups aren’t for everyone.”

“They’re places that move at rapid speed. They experiment. They try new things. They sometimes create noise, and yes, bad press. If that’s not your bag, that’s OK. It’s a free country and I completely respect if you decide this is just not the right place at the right time for you,” Weiss said.

Recent changes at CBS include Weiss hosting an interview special with Erika Kirk last month and evening news anchor Tony Dokoupil interviewing Trump on Jan 13, shortly after taking over the anchor role on January 5.

Weiss’ warning comes amid reports that she’s seeking “younger, hotter, male” talent, potentially to replace Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan.