"Decades ago, it was dubbed the Tiffany Network home of the great journalist Walter Cronkite (the most trusted man in America), and innovator of the top-flight magazine program, 60 Minutes. Even outside its news division, the network was a place where the variety-show host Ed Sullivan could break down racial exclusion by inviting outstanding Black entertainers to his Sunday night program; that was controversial in an era of intense racial turmoil."
"But on Monday, when Bari Weiss was named editor-in-chief of CBS News, it was the latest turn in the network's confounding departure from its roots. Given her lack of experience in news, placing Weiss at or near the helm of a television news division makes no more sense than it would have, a generation ago, to have given such a role to William F Buckley of the National Review"
"Weiss a staunch Zionist and a fierce opponent of supposed wokeness and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives famously left the New York Times opinion section, claiming she had been bullied by her colleagues for her beliefs. She started a Substack newsletter and eventually founded the wildly successful website Free Press. Her rise has been meteoric. She has ascended the mountain of journalism on a slingshot, Jessica Testa of the New York Times put it this week."
CBS was once a leading network known as the Tiffany Network, home to Walter Cronkite and the innovator of 60 Minutes. The network facilitated social progress by showcasing Black entertainers on Ed Sullivan's Sunday program during intense racial turmoil. The CBS news department employed top journalists and projected a public mission. The appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief marks a clear departure from those traditions. Weiss lacks newsroom experience, is a staunch Zionist, and opposes wokeness and DEI initiatives. She left the New York Times, founded Free Press, earned rapid prominence, and drew sharp criticism as part of a perceived shift since Donald Trump was elected to a second term.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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