Media giant Paramount is in talks to purchase Bari Weiss's media company, The Free Press, the New York Post reported this week.
The proposed purchase price could range from $100 million to $200 million and would result in Weiss' publication being absorbed into Paramount.
Included in the deal is an offer for the position of senior editor of the mainstream outlet, CBS News.
This follows a recent merger between Paramount Global and David Ellison’s Skydance Media, the parent company of CBS News. As both were already largely influential, the United States Federal Communications Commission insisted on implementing an ombudsman while approving the merger.
Weiss is well known for her fierce criticism of mainstream media outlets
The Free Press was established in 2021 after Weiss left her previous position at The New York Times, where she served as a staff editor and writer.
One reason for her departure, as cited by Weiss in her announcement of resignation, was her experiences with antisemitism in the workplace. Such incidents included frequently facing harassment for her pro-Israel stances and her journalistic focus on the state of antisemitism in the world. She reported that due to many of her previous coworkers disagreeing with her, antisemitic actions were ignored and enabled.
Another reason, she stated, was a feeling that the New York Times was becoming biased. Her stated aim was to create an outlet where diverse viewpoints were represented without being stifled by the perceived obligation to present an overarching narrative.
The talks between Paramount and Weiss are reportedly in their final stages.