The Powers That Be: Daily CBS News's Bari Era & Larry’s TikTok Machinations
5 snips
Oct 3, 2025 Kim Masters, a seasoned media journalist and host at KCRW, dives into the transformative moves of the Ellison empire as David Ellison preps to install Bari Weiss as CBS News's editor-in-chief. Fears swirl around Weiss's potential to disrupt the newsroom's legacy. The conversation shifts to Larry Ellison's complicated involvement with TikTok, unpacking the intricate dynamics behind the Trump administration's deal. Lastly, Hollywood's anxiety about a potential Ellison takeover of Warner Bros reveals the industry's uncertain future.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Ellison's CBS Shakeup Raises Alarm
- David Ellison plans to make Bari Weiss editor-in-chief of CBS News after buying her Free Press for about $150 million.
- Kim Masters warns this could politicize and upend CBS's traditional newsroom norms.
Opinion Leader Vs. Newsroom Credibility
- Kim Masters doubts Weiss's journalistic credentials because she primarily wrote opinion pieces.
- She says an opinion-led editor could erode newsroom credibility and provoke internal backlash.
How Newsrooms Should Respond
- If you work at CBS News, brace for disruption but don't panic and resist change reflexively.
- Hold leaders accountable while preserving journalistic standards and institutional memory.