She’s already screwing up! Bari Weiss memo controversy hot this week

The controversy centers on a memo sent by Bari Weiss, the newly appointed Editor-in-Chief of CBS News, to all staffers on October 10, 2025. The memo requested detailed responses about employees’ daily work activities, proudest achievements, and candid feedback on what’s “working, broken, or substandard” at the network—due by October 14. Intended as a tool for Weiss to “align on a shared vision” and prepare for one-on-one meetings, it instead ignited widespread anxiety and division.

The Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), representing many CBS News writers, editors, and researchers, quickly advised members not to respond until the company clarified the memo’s purpose, fearing it could lead to discipline, layoffs, or AI scrutiny. This clashed with urgings from some producers to reply, creating “mass confusion” amid looming Paramount layoffs. By October 14, CBS assured the union that responses are optional and won’t result in punishment, but the incident highlights tensions in Weiss’s early tenure.

Weiss, a former New York Times opinion writer and founder of the independent outlet The Free Press, was named Editor-in-Chief of CBS News on October 3, 2025, reporting directly to Paramount Global CEO David Ellison (following the Skydance-Paramount merger). She joins CBS News President Tom Cibrowski, a veteran ABC executive, in a dual-leadership structure.

Weiss’s hire has been polarizing: Supporters praise her as a bold digital innovator; critics, including former CBS anchor Dan Rather, decry it as a “dark day” for the network, citing her opinionated background, lack of broadcast experience, and history of promoting conservative viewpoints and pro-Israel advocacy. Her appointment comes amid Paramount’s cost-cutting, with executives signaling significant workforce reductions in upcoming earnings reports—heightening staff fears that the memo could inform layoff decisions.

Weiss’s email framed the request as an onboarding effort: “CBS News is a big place with functional titles and reporting structures that I’m learning… I’m eager to understand how you spend your working hours—and ideally, what you’ve made (or are making) that you are most proud of.” She encouraged bluntness: “Please be blunt—it will help me greatly,” and promised confidentiality, stating she’d use responses as a “discussion guide” for meetings. The ask echoed efficiency audits like Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, prompting speculation it was a precursor to restructuring.The WGA’s Response and Staff ConfusionWithin hours, WGAE leaders (including Director of Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News Michael Isaac) emailed members expressing “shared concerns” and instructing them to hold off.

The union sought answers on:
Who would access responses (e.g., HR, executives)?
Could replies be used for “discipline, discharge, or layoff”?
Would AI analyze them?
What would happen to the data?

This advice conflicted with some producers’ encouragement to respond, leading to a “to write or not to write” dilemma. Insiders described a newsroom in turmoil, with employees weighing career risks against Weiss’s direct pipeline to Ellison. By October 13, reports emerged of “mass confusion,” amplified by the merger’s shadow.

On October 14, WGAE updated members: CBS confirmed the memo’s benign intent (“for Bari to get to know employees”) and protections against retaliation. No mass responses were mandated, easing immediate fears. However, skepticism lingers—staff worry about Weiss’s influence on coverage (e.g., pro-Israel bias) and broader ideological shifts, drawing parallels to the 1970s Powell Memo’s push for corporate media control. Weiss has since held meetings with anchors and booked high-profile roundtables (e.g., with Hillary Clinton, Antony Blinken, and Mike Pompeo, moderated by Norah O’Donnell).