I don’t understand the vitriol against Weiss. It sounds to me like a lot of whining and sour grapes. Maybe there’s more “house cleaning” to be done at CBS?
As near as I can tell, WG, there are four things causing the vitriol. In no particular order:
- she is a woman and she is a woman boss (in my view a minor but a real issue here) who doesn't, as they say, suffer fools gladly;
- she was previously a star writer with the NY Times but resigned in a major kerfuffle in which she definitely did not praise the woke perspective - so, the last item in particular;
- after the NY Times she and her spouse founded The Free Press in 2021 (a very, impressive and terrifically successful news site, so successful that it was bought by CBS in 2025 for $150 million (pretty good return on investment, no?).
To summarize, I think the issues "against" Bari Weiss are: her gender, professional jealousy; her failure to take the popular political stance (not DJT but not woke) and financial jealousy.
Thanks Brian - amazing analysis. An employee answers to those above, not the reverse. You work out disagreements or leave. Simple. haven't watched 60Minutes for years. Loved the Mike Wallace and Morgan Freeman interview about "Black History Month" where Morgan shut down Mike.
That isn't the first time Wallace said something stupid. There was a famous interview he did with the jazz musician Gerry Mulligan where he went out of his way to try and embarrass Gerry about his addiction to heroin (which Gerry managed to overcome). He then asked Gerry about why there were no African-American musicians in his group, and if that was by choice (if he had done any research, he would have known that over the years, Gerry had had African-American musicians in his groups, and had worked with many. He was in no way at all racist). Before Gerry could reply, the trombonist in the group, Bob Brookmeyer, said to Wallace, "our drummer is Jewish, does that count"?
I’ve been a paid subscriber to The Free Press since before it was called thefp.com and was Bari Weiss’s startup Common Sense. She is anything but MAGA but also doesn’t have TDS. Her site is what everyone claims to want with all viewpoints considered.
I appreciate Brian's interest in this story, but, to be honest, I really don't care. It's just another elitist journalist to full of his own importance. The best thing i got from the Free Press was learning about Batya Ungar Sargon. She is my new favourite American journalist.
Then we might ask, where does a TV show like 60 Minutes fit in now?
People don't sit in front of a screen at a certain time for a certain period every night any more. And maybe we haven't done that for decades.
When I want news, I type a string into the search navbar. I use a number of search engines. I can get fifty opinions for free; why is Pelley's supposed to be so important?
Pelley is ranting at his boss on behalf of a bygone age. Companies can fund his sort of thing up the yingyang if they want - and in Canada, taxpayers are forced to fund it - but no one can reverse the tide or hold back the sea.
He reminds me of Steven Colbert, who was unable to "youthen" his demographic because the format he excelled at appeals only to Boomers now. Yes, the Boomers are crying "censorship!" but it is really the censorship exercised by the Grim Reaper.
Pretty hard to support someone who is disrespectful to his boss.
Maybe it was his last hooray as he wanted out anyways. I think hes smart enough to know what you write is true, and has other plans. What else could it be..
60 minutes made you what you are .. an award winning journalist with no class.. jmo.
It’s pretty simple. When an employer makes a decision an employee has two options. Support the decision 100% or, if you cannot, then quit. Staying on the payroll while you undermine your employer is not an ethical option.
Yawn, Pelley is a pompous ass with liberal, nay, left positions. This makes him NOT a reporter/journalist but an 'opinionator'. His performative 'righteous indignation' says everything about the ill-mannered clown. Weiss's problem...she didn't clean house thoroughly enough to route out all the activists. Only when the underlying gangrene is gone, can the restoration begin. There are tons of talking heads that can do that job - Brian Lilly is one of them. Neil Oliver in the UK is another. Imagine Mark Steyn as one of those presenters...a guy can dream, can't he
These people (like Mr Pelley) need to learn some humility. If they're so gosh darned important, why don't they start their own network? In past, more dignified times, if you felt that strongly about something, you would submit your resignation and respectfully move on. Nowadays, these types seem to think that they are the greatest thing since sliced bread, and that they get to dictate to everyone else. Maybe somebody should remind them about the lack of respect the general public has for the MSM, and the reasons therefore.
What does Weiss being Jewish & a Lesbian have to do with her position at CBS or her Journalistic integrity or qualifications? You didn't mention Pelley's religion or sexual proclivities or Bilton's. Do better Brian. This is beneath you.
I don't wish to nitpick, but as you are, yourself, Brian, an esteemed writer, I wonder how you can make so many grammatical errors in this piece. 'honorof' ' themost 'myqualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt. I welcome a diversityof viewpoints and respectful debate among the team, but this was nothing of the sort. Yesterday’sperformative display of hostility—enacted in front of the staff instead of in a civil, privateconversation'. Is this like type setting - like in the old days when you had to squish words together or insert longer spaces in order to fit the newspaper? I'm sorry, I long for the days when the English language was treated with respect. Or maybe I'm just a language "naczy" (sorry about the misspelling, but I don't want to get anyone cancelled for using actual words used in English).
Once you understand that most are not journalists, but rather, government employees masquerading as journalists, everything starts to make sense.
"If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you're misinformed."
Mark Twain
I don’t understand the vitriol against Weiss. It sounds to me like a lot of whining and sour grapes. Maybe there’s more “house cleaning” to be done at CBS?
As near as I can tell, WG, there are four things causing the vitriol. In no particular order:
- she is a woman and she is a woman boss (in my view a minor but a real issue here) who doesn't, as they say, suffer fools gladly;
- she was previously a star writer with the NY Times but resigned in a major kerfuffle in which she definitely did not praise the woke perspective - so, the last item in particular;
- after the NY Times she and her spouse founded The Free Press in 2021 (a very, impressive and terrifically successful news site, so successful that it was bought by CBS in 2025 for $150 million (pretty good return on investment, no?).
To summarize, I think the issues "against" Bari Weiss are: her gender, professional jealousy; her failure to take the popular political stance (not DJT but not woke) and financial jealousy.
Interesting angle
Happens when new people come in and especially younger.
Weiss deserves scrutiny - she's pulled off some bonehead moves in her journalist career but this case is pretty clear.
Thanks Brian - amazing analysis. An employee answers to those above, not the reverse. You work out disagreements or leave. Simple. haven't watched 60Minutes for years. Loved the Mike Wallace and Morgan Freeman interview about "Black History Month" where Morgan shut down Mike.
That isn't the first time Wallace said something stupid. There was a famous interview he did with the jazz musician Gerry Mulligan where he went out of his way to try and embarrass Gerry about his addiction to heroin (which Gerry managed to overcome). He then asked Gerry about why there were no African-American musicians in his group, and if that was by choice (if he had done any research, he would have known that over the years, Gerry had had African-American musicians in his groups, and had worked with many. He was in no way at all racist). Before Gerry could reply, the trombonist in the group, Bob Brookmeyer, said to Wallace, "our drummer is Jewish, does that count"?
I’ve been a paid subscriber to The Free Press since before it was called thefp.com and was Bari Weiss’s startup Common Sense. She is anything but MAGA but also doesn’t have TDS. Her site is what everyone claims to want with all viewpoints considered.
I appreciate Brian's interest in this story, but, to be honest, I really don't care. It's just another elitist journalist to full of his own importance. The best thing i got from the Free Press was learning about Batya Ungar Sargon. She is my new favourite American journalist.
Start here: The internet changes everything.
Then we might ask, where does a TV show like 60 Minutes fit in now?
People don't sit in front of a screen at a certain time for a certain period every night any more. And maybe we haven't done that for decades.
When I want news, I type a string into the search navbar. I use a number of search engines. I can get fifty opinions for free; why is Pelley's supposed to be so important?
Pelley is ranting at his boss on behalf of a bygone age. Companies can fund his sort of thing up the yingyang if they want - and in Canada, taxpayers are forced to fund it - but no one can reverse the tide or hold back the sea.
He reminds me of Steven Colbert, who was unable to "youthen" his demographic because the format he excelled at appeals only to Boomers now. Yes, the Boomers are crying "censorship!" but it is really the censorship exercised by the Grim Reaper.
Ranting is the point i took. Hes disrespectful.. leave if he wants but respect who signs his cheque.
I made a point of watching 60 minutes andva fes otgers..but i changed to sports. More fun.
Cheers
Everyone who thinks they are irreplaceable , find out
they are.
‘You’ll never be welcome here…’ is essentially saying ‘I will never work fairly with you…’
He should have fired him on the spot. That is what I would have done. It also sends a message to others.
Perhaps he didn’t have the authority to fire him.
Pretty hard to support someone who is disrespectful to his boss.
Maybe it was his last hooray as he wanted out anyways. I think hes smart enough to know what you write is true, and has other plans. What else could it be..
60 minutes made you what you are .. an award winning journalist with no class.. jmo.
Insightful article..
It’s pretty simple. When an employer makes a decision an employee has two options. Support the decision 100% or, if you cannot, then quit. Staying on the payroll while you undermine your employer is not an ethical option.
It is the demise of every small and medium sized business.
Yawn, Pelley is a pompous ass with liberal, nay, left positions. This makes him NOT a reporter/journalist but an 'opinionator'. His performative 'righteous indignation' says everything about the ill-mannered clown. Weiss's problem...she didn't clean house thoroughly enough to route out all the activists. Only when the underlying gangrene is gone, can the restoration begin. There are tons of talking heads that can do that job - Brian Lilly is one of them. Neil Oliver in the UK is another. Imagine Mark Steyn as one of those presenters...a guy can dream, can't he
These people (like Mr Pelley) need to learn some humility. If they're so gosh darned important, why don't they start their own network? In past, more dignified times, if you felt that strongly about something, you would submit your resignation and respectfully move on. Nowadays, these types seem to think that they are the greatest thing since sliced bread, and that they get to dictate to everyone else. Maybe somebody should remind them about the lack of respect the general public has for the MSM, and the reasons therefore.
60 minutes jumped the shark about 10 years ago when their anti-Trump rants and stories took over.
Every media outlet by and large down the same.
What does Weiss being Jewish & a Lesbian have to do with her position at CBS or her Journalistic integrity or qualifications? You didn't mention Pelley's religion or sexual proclivities or Bilton's. Do better Brian. This is beneath you.
I don't wish to nitpick, but as you are, yourself, Brian, an esteemed writer, I wonder how you can make so many grammatical errors in this piece. 'honorof' ' themost 'myqualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt. I welcome a diversityof viewpoints and respectful debate among the team, but this was nothing of the sort. Yesterday’sperformative display of hostility—enacted in front of the staff instead of in a civil, privateconversation'. Is this like type setting - like in the old days when you had to squish words together or insert longer spaces in order to fit the newspaper? I'm sorry, I long for the days when the English language was treated with respect. Or maybe I'm just a language "naczy" (sorry about the misspelling, but I don't want to get anyone cancelled for using actual words used in English).
I type 99% on my phone. Its not grammatically friendly. It makes me look illiterate..and to proof read sometimes i just forget..
Wow! The CBC opinion said Trump had him fired. Who knew.