Mayim Bialik's Breakdown Re-Air: Bari Weiss: Age of Rising Conspiracy
Oct 9, 2025
Bari Weiss, a prominent journalist and founder of The Free Press, discusses her departure from The New York Times and the evolution of media culture. She explores how institutional distrust fuels conspiracy theories and societal anxiety, particularly during the pandemic. Bari highlights the need for open conversations, even with opposing views, and emphasizes her core values guiding her controversial work. She also addresses the loneliness in the digital age and the rise of gurus seeking to fill the void left by eroded shared beliefs.
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Public Resignation Led To New Outlet
- Bari Weiss left The New York Times in 2020 with a public resignation and then built The Free Press.
- She started the outlet to pursue reporting she felt mainstream institutions were avoiding.
Subscription Model Warps Coverage
- The internet shifted news revenue from advertisers to subscribers, changing editorial incentives.
- Bari Weiss argues this makes outlets cater to paying readers' beliefs rather than neutral reporting.
Narrowing Of Acceptable Debate
- Institutions narrowed what viewpoints are socially acceptable, shrinking debate.
- Weiss says that shift matters more than simple partisan labels and harms public discourse.
