As CBS Information undergoes a regime change underneath Paramount‘s new possession, John Oliver is alarmed by the brand new rent.
With David Ellison‘s takeover and subsequently appointing Bari Weiss to editor-in-chief of CBS Information, the comic used Sunday’s Final Week Tonight to name out her questionable op-ed background at The New York Instances and her personal outlet, The Free Press, in addition to her outspoken stance in opposition to DEI.
“The reality is, we wouldn’t even have executed this story have been it not for the truth that Bari Weiss has simply been named editor-in-chief of CBS Information, and that feels completely different,” he famous on the finish of Sunday’s episode. “As a result of there are numerous opinion-heavy shops on the market, from left to proper, and with low to excessive editorial requirements.
“This present is, amongst different issues, an opinion outlet, and whereas our workers works extremely arduous to analysis tales earlier than we write one thing and vigorously examine our information afterwards. We’re additionally not the information, and I wouldn’t need anybody who led a pure opinion outlet, not even one which I occurred to agree with, to instantly be working CBS Information.”
Oliver added, “However, it’s particularly alarming to have somebody doing it that has spent years placing out work that, for my part, is at finest, irresponsible, and at worst, deeply deceptive.”
Noting that the very fact Ellison can also be making ready a bid for CNN and HBO underneath a potential Warner Bros. Discovery merger “isn’t best” for his personal present, Oliver added, “Though, I’ve gotta say, if what he likes about Bari is that she forces him to have arduous conversations, to get a bit uncomfortable, possibly he’ll like this.”
Deadline reported final week that Paramount bought The Free Press, naming its founder the brand new head of CBS Information.