By Isabella Simonetti and Joe Flint

CBS News Editor in Chief Bari Weiss said the network is "not producing a product that enough people want" and called for a radical shift in how it delivers the news.

Weiss laid out her vision for the network at an all-hands meeting Tuesday, saying that winning back audiences' trust in the media is key for the future of CBS News.

Weiss urged staff to pursue more exclusive pieces. She acknowledged pressures being felt across the news industry, with a fragmented audience that wants fast takes, deep dives and access to stories in many formats. She discussed a transformation of the news organization's website and making more use of social-media platforms, such as YouTube, and said CBS News needs to give priority to getting stories done quickly over focusing on which show they will air on.

"I get why, in the face of all of this tumult and noise, you might feel uncertain or skeptical about me and about what I'm aiming to do here," Weiss said Tuesday, according to a recording of the meeting viewed by The Wall Street Journal. "So I'm not gonna stand up here today in front of all of you and ask for your trust. I'm going to earn it just like we have to do with our viewers."

The gathering was Weiss's first major address to CBS News staff after a tumultuous first few months on the job. She asked staff early on to lay out how they spend their days, installed a new "CBS Evening News" anchor and drew ire for delaying the broadcast of a "60 Minutes" segment that was originally slated to run in December.

Weiss, who joined CBS News in October after CBS parent Paramount bought her news and opinion platform the Free Press for $150 million, acknowledged she has a long road to gaining the trust of the organization.

She stressed the importance of modernizing CBS and to "widen the aperture" of stories and voices available on the network. Weiss introduced a slate of new contributors, among them experts on health and national security, podcasters and Free Press columnists.

"Our strategy until now has been cling to the audience that remains on broadcast television," she said. "I'm here to tell you that if we stick to that strategy, we're toast."

Weiss reports to Paramount CEO David Ellison. Paramount is pursuing a high-stakes, hostile bid for rival Warner Bros. Discovery.

On Tuesday, Weiss took questions on a range of topics, including about potential layoffs at the network. Paramount has been pursuing major cost-cutting efforts. Weiss said there could be "transformation of our workforce," and noted that the network is also hiring.

During the question-and-answer session, "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King expressed frustration over how the network has been a topic of gossip since Weiss's tenure began. "We've all been walking around with gasoline on our pants," she said.

King, whose contract is up later this year and has been the subject of speculation regarding her future with the network, praised Weiss for laying out a vision.

King also took aim at staff who have been leaking stories about the network, saying that people should be able to have candid conversations without the details ending up in other news outlets. "I am so sick of that," she said.

Weiss said in response to a separate question that King is "beloved" within CBS, and she sees a long future for her at the network.

Concerns about Weiss's plans for the network escalated after she held a "60 Minutes" segment in December on a prison in El Salvador where the Trump administration sent hundreds of Venezuelan migrants, including alleged gang members. The piece, which had been promoted publicly, was pulled after Weiss raised concerns about the comment-seeking process and determined it needed additional reporting.

The segment ultimately aired in January with some additions.

"I was not pressured by David Ellison or anyone else," Weiss said in response to a question Tuesday about the segment.

Write to Isabella Simonetti at isabella.simonetti@wsj.com and Joe Flint at Joe.Flint@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 27, 2026 14:41 ET (19:41 GMT)

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