Bari Weiss, who is the new editor-in-chief at CBS News, attempted to join the panel at The View in 2021, but completely botched her audition, RadarOnline.comcan reveal.
The 41-year-old was one of the potential names on the list to replace Meghan McCain as the conservative voice on the controversial daytime talk show, but things didn’t exactly go well for Weiss.
Weiss’ Failed Audition
Weiss, who guest-hosted on ‘The View,’ was unable to land a permanent role.
Weiss, who had launched her news outlet The Free Press, had previously guest-hosted several episodes of The View and is said to have lobbied hard for a permanent gig, but she “didn’t test well with audiences,” according to Variety. The audience “didn’t understand her centrist-right contrarian politics,” a source revealed.
During one of her guest-host appearances in October 2020, Weiss battled it out against Sunny Hostin over “cancel culture,” calling it “wrong and deeply un-American. While Weiss didn’t get the gig, former Trump White House director of strategic communications Alyssa Farah Griffin got the job instead.
However, things didn’t completely crash and burn for Weiss, who was named the new editor-in-chief of CBS News by Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, after the media conglomerate acquired her news outlet for a reportedly $150million.
Weiss’ New Role as Editor-in-Chief
Weiss ‘didn’t test well with the audience,’ leading to her not getting the gig on the daytime talk show.
“Bari is a thoughtful and creative leader who is deeply committed to journalism’s historic ideals: honesty, doggedness, and fierce independence,” Alex Chitty, who worked with Weiss at The Free Press, gushed following the decision. “Any journalistic institution would be lucky to have her in charge.”
Not everyone is on board, however, as another former colleague reacted: “She’s just gaming the system, with billionaires funding her career. She’s never worked in a newsroom traditionally in the way that she’s going to. It just feels like cheating.”
While Paul Friedman, a former top executive at both ABC News and CBS News, isn’t exactly sure if Weiss can keep her reporting fair and balanced.
“She’s been extremely outspoken about her views. She said some things that I can’t conceive of somebody running a news division saying out loud,” Friedman said. “We can only hope she means what she’s said about wanting to ensure fair and balanced journalism. But there’s very little reason to hope for that, based on her record and on Paramount’s behavior in settling a spurious suit against CBS News and diminishing 60 Minutes.”
Weiss’ Bizarre Reaction
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison named Weiss CBS News’ new editor-in-chief.
Earlier this year, President Trump sued CBS News and its parent company, Paramount, and won $16million, after he accused the network of misleading editing on their interview with Kamala Harris, which he felt was election interference.
In response to Weiss’ new role, Ellison gushed over the journalist in a statement: “Bari is a proven champion of independent, principled journalism, and I am confident her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will invigorate CBS News.
“This move is part of Paramount’s bigger vision to modernize content and the way it connects – directly and passionately – to audiences around the world.”
Alyssa Farah Griffin ended up grabbing ‘The View’ gig over Weiss.
According to a source, after learning of her new role, Weiss declared, “Let’s do the f—— news.”
“I’m not joking,” a CBS News employee claimed. “She actually said that,” and added there were “eye rolls for sure.”
