Bari Weiss Rejected as The View Co-Host Before CBS News Rise

• Bari Weiss was rejected for a co-host role on ‘The View’ in 2021 due to poor audience test scores.
• Her appointment as CBS News editor-in-chief follows Paramount’s $150 million acquisition of her outlet, The Free Press. Comedian John Oliver has called her hiring “irresponsible” and “deeply misleading”.
• The decision has sparked internal backlash from CBS News staffers concerned about her political agenda and lack of broadcast experience.
• Weiss will oversee a sprawling news operation including ’60 Minutes’ without prior broadcast news experience.

After being rejected for a co-host position on ‘The View’ in 2021, Bari Weiss has orchestrated a stunning comeback, recently being named the editor-in-chief of CBS News. This major career shift, fueled by the acquisition of her news outlet, The Free Press, for a reported $150 million, has sent shockwaves through the media industry and prompted vocal criticism from figures like John Oliver.

Her journey from a rejected panelist to the head of a legendary news division marks a significant moment in modern media.

Bari Weiss’s Rejection from ‘The View’

In the summer of 2021, following Meghan McCain’s exit, the producers of “The View” were searching for a new conservative voice. Bari Weiss, who had already guest-hosted a few episodes, actively wanted the job, with her agents lobbying on her behalf.

However, the opportunity did not materialize. Insider reports reveal that Weiss tested poorly with focus groups, who did not connect with her centrist-right contrarian politics. Her audience scores were so low that she was not invited back to guest host, and the position ultimately went to Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump White House communications director.

A Meteoric Rise to CBS News Leadership

Weiss’s rejection from daytime television proved to be a blessing in disguise. She founded The Free Press, a subscription-based news outlet that grew to 1.5 million subscribers and positioned her as a powerful figure in anti-woke media circles.

On October 6, 2025, Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison announced the acquisition of The Free Press for a staggering $150 million and appointed Weiss as the new editor-in-chief of CBS News. This move places her in charge of a sprawling news operation, including iconic programs like “60 Minutes,” despite her lack of prior broadcast news experience.

John Oliver’s Sharp Criticism of the Appointment

The announcement prompted immediate criticism, most notably from HBO host John Oliver. On his show “Last Week Tonight,” Oliver dedicated a segment to questioning Weiss’s qualifications. He stated that it is “alarming” to have someone running CBS News who has “spent years putting out work that, in my opinion, is at best irresponsible and at worst deeply misleading”.

Oliver emphasized that Weiss built her career in opinion journalism, not news reporting, and expressed concern that her “contrarian, right-leaning opinion journalism” is now being injected into a mainstream news institution.

Internal Backlash from CBS News Staffers

The appointment has been met with significant apprehension within CBS News itself. In confidential conversations, network employees described the mood as “utterly depressing” and expressed alarm that someone with “zero experience in television news” and a “clearly defined political agenda” was chosen to lead.

Staffers are concerned about the $150 million price tag for The Free Press, especially as the newsroom braces for potential cuts, and some are adopting a “wait and see” approach despite their pessimism about the new leadership.

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Last Updated on October 13, 2025 by 247 News Around The World