Journalists at CBS News were left stunned Friday by reports that opinion journalist Bari Weiss, a sharp critic of mainstream media, would assume the role of editor-in-chief at the venerable network. Just two months earlier, optimism had cautiously returned to the Midtown Manhattan newsroom, when David Ellison, son of software billionaire Larry Ellison, introduced himself as chief executive of Paramount Skydance, the company that acquired CBS in an $8 billion merger promising new investment. Since that brief encounter, the newsroom has heard little directly from Ellison, fueling uncertainty about the future direction of the network.
Details of Weiss’s impending hire, coupled with Paramount Skydance’s $150 million acquisition of her online publication, the Free Press, leaked to media outlets before any internal announcement, intensifying apprehension. The deal is the latest move by David Ellison as he and his father, Larry Ellison, build a sprawling media empire spanning Hollywood, television, and, increasingly, online platforms. According to The Washington Post, the Ellisons’ acquisitions position them with unprecedented reach, combining iconic media franchises with digital media platforms such as TikTok, in which Oracle has a stake.
Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle and the world’s second-richest person, has a personal fortune exceeding $345 billion, vastly surpassing media mogul Rupert Murdoch. His son, David Ellison, 42, brought Hollywood credentials to the merger, producing blockbuster films including Top Gun: Maverick through his company Skydance before taking control of CBS. Together, they now oversee a media ecosystem capable of influencing U.S. culture and politics at a scale rarely seen in a single family enterprise.
While the Ellisons have not indicated plans to advance a political agenda, the appointment of Weiss—a journalist known for opposing “wokeism” and strongly supporting Israel—has sparked questions about the network’s editorial direction. The Free Press has also been critical of former President Donald Trump, who played a tangential role in approving key regulatory deals that enabled the Ellisons’ expansion. David Ellison, politically independent and a donor to President Joe Biden, has publicly stated that CBS News will be guided by facts and trust rather than partisanship.
The merger and subsequent FCC approval came after Paramount agreed to a $16 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit from Trump alleging CBS News interfered with his reelection. Ellison has emphasized innovation and technical prowess as priorities, stating, “I do not want to politicize our company in any way, shape or form.” Yet, analysts note that the move to appoint Weiss could provoke a culture clash within a newsroom historically shaped by figures such as Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite.
David Ellison’s trajectory from Hollywood producer to media mogul has been shaped by his upbringing in Silicon Valley, where he observed his father’s intense drive and built connections with figures like Steve Jobs. Ellison studied film at the University of Southern California, founded Skydance in 2006, and gradually established himself in Hollywood with projects including True Grit, Star Trek, and the Mission: Impossible series. Meanwhile, Larry Ellison’s political pivot to the right and high-profile investments in AI and social media infrastructure have expanded the family’s influence beyond entertainment and technology.
The CBS newsroom shake-up illustrates the Ellisons’ disruptive approach to legacy media, yet their long-term strategy remains unclear. Experts point to a pattern reminiscent of media dynasties, but with unprecedented wealth and cross-industry reach. “Rupert Murdoch set up Lachlan, Larry set up his son. There’s a real tradition of that in Hollywood,” said David Lieberman, a media professor at the New School. “The interesting question is do they really have a strategy, and if so, what is it? Because that hasn’t been articulated.”
As CBS navigates this new era under Bari Weiss and the Ellison family, journalists, media analysts, and audiences alike are watching closely to see whether the network can balance its storied legacy with the ambitions of a powerful, wealth-driven media empire—a story that The Washington Post continues to cover.
