NEW YORK — Bari Weiss, the editor-in-chief of CBS News, and Tom Cibrowski, the president of CBS News, operate in a state of internal conflict described by staff as a 'Cold War.' The two executives manage competing factions and divergent editorial philosophies. Weiss was named editor-in-chief in October 2025. Cibrowski serves as president, running TV operations while Weiss oversees editorial operations.

A prominent network staffer said, “It’s a Cold War.” Another prominent network staffer said they just want one side to win so they can do their jobs. A third CBS insider said, “We just want one side to win so we can do our jobs.” The physical separation of the executives mirrors their operational divide. Weiss and Cibrowski occupy different floors of the CBS Midtown Broadcast Center. They also maintain separate public relations teams.

Weiss is 42 years old and reports directly to David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance. Cibrowski is 58 years old and reports to CBS CEO George Cheeks, who in turn reports to Ellison. This reporting structure places both executives under the same corporate umbrella but on distinct chains of command.

Cibrowski previously worked at ABC News producing “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight.” His leadership included managing coverage of global events like the 2016 presidential election and the Royal weddings. He also oversaw the transformation of ABC's morning show into the top-rated program in 2014.

Cibrowski faced internal resistance due to his background, with some journalists criticizing the approach compared to traditional standards. A third CBS insider said, “There’s a mini ABC mafia who all have each other’s back.” A CBS insider added that the ABC people think the Bari people don’t understand TV. Conversely, a CBS insider said "Bari has a more intellectual take on the news." The same insider reported that Weiss "looks down at the ABC people for their stories on weather and things like that."

Weiss founded The Free Press, which Paramount Skydance acquired in October 2025 for $150 million. By January 2026, The Free Press had two million subscribers. She previously worked at Tablet, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times from 2017 to 2020.

In 2021, she resigned from The New York Times after citing a culture of intolerance. She also wrote the book “How to Fight Anti-Semitism,” which won the National Jewish Book Award.

Anderson Cooper exited CBS News this summer. Tony Dokoupil joined “CBS Evening News” in January. Norah O'Donnell joined “CBS Mornings” as a full-time co-host this month. Gayle King and Nate Burleson serve as full-time co-hosts of “CBS Mornings”.

Season 59 of “60 Minutes” debuts on Sunday. The season kickoff included an interview by Norah O'Donnell with a US Air Force officer whose plane was shot down over Iran. Weiss has urged staffers to cover Dr. Anthony Fauci’s Senate hearings. She has also urged staffers to cover whether Europe would embrace air conditioning during the summer heatwave.

“CBS Mornings” and “CBS Evening News” are rated last place. A second CBS source said it all comes down to the ratings. The source asked, “Who’s going to get fired first, Bari for ’60’ or Tom for ‘CBS Mornings’ and ‘CBS Evening News’?” Charles Forelle serves as a lieutenant to Weiss. Wendy Fisher is the senior vice president of editorial.

David Reiter is the senior vice president of CBS News 24/7. Mark Lima is the Washington DC bureau chief. Matt Mosk is the investigative chief. Kim Harvey is the executive producer of “CBS Evening News”.

A network source close to Cibrowski said Tom likes Bari. The source added he thinks she’s smart and has good ideas. A former TV exec said the changes she has made normally take place over the course of several seasons and they’re done seamlessly. The executive added this is too much, too soon. A CBS spokesperson called reports of problems between Weiss and Cibrowski “baseless gossip.” The spokesperson claimed that none of it is true. The spokesperson said "CBS News is firing on all cylinders and working more collaboratively than ever." The spokesperson also said they’re very excited about season 59 of 60 Minutes. Weiss is from Pittsburgh and became a bat mitzvah at the Tree of Life synagogue, where eleven worshipers were murdered in the 2018 antisemitic attack. A lawsuit seeks to block Paramount's merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, which is valued at $81 billion.

Why It Matters

The internal conflict at CBS News occurs as the division faces declining ratings and personnel turnover. “CBS Mornings” and “CBS Evening News” are rated last place, and multiple high-profile journalists including Scott Pelley and Anderson Cooper exited this summer. The divergence in editorial philosophy between Weiss, who brings a digital and opinion-driven background, and Cibrowski, a traditional broadcast executive, creates uncertainty for staff and viewers alike.

The situation reflects broader changes in media ownership and strategy following the acquisition of The Free Press by Paramount Skydance. With Weiss reporting directly to CEO David Ellison and Cibrowski reporting through CBS CEO George Cheeks, the organizational structure allows for parallel power centers. The outcome of this tension will likely determine the future direction of flagship programs like “60 Minutes” and the overall journalistic identity of the network.

What's New

Tom Cibrowski's leadership at ABC News included managing coverage of global events like the 2016 presidential election, the Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 disappearance, and the Royal weddings, as documented in his CBS News biography. In 2025, CBS News experienced a ‘60 Minutes’ crisis after Bari Weiss intervened in editorial decisions, leading to tensions with veteran producer Jeff Fager and contributing to the departure of key figures like Scott Pelley and Anderson Cooper. Tom Cibrowski faced internal resistance at CBS News due to his background at ABC, with some journalists criticizing ABC's ‘less deep, more sensational’ approach compared to CBS's traditional journalism standards, as reported by Columbia Journalism Review.

Bari Weiss wrote the book “How to Fight Anti-Semitism”. Bari Weiss's tenure at The Free Press grew to 1.5 million subscribers by 2025, despite her lack of television experience, which Paramount Skydance cited as a rationale for her appointment at CBS News. Bari Weiss worked at The New York Times from 2017 to 2020.

Bari Weiss's decision to retain a pro-Israel correspondent while laying off Debora Patta, a South African journalist with critical views of Israel, prompted internal backlash at CBS News, according to sources cited in Columbia Journalism Review. Tom Cibrowski oversaw the transformation of ABC's ‘Good Morning America’ into the top-rated morning show in 2014, a shift described as ‘once in a generation’ by industry analysts, following his role as senior executive producer.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the extent of Bari Weiss's authority and impact. The CBS News job description for Editor-in-Chief states that Bari Weiss oversees the editorial operations of CBS News.

Sources also present different contexts for Weiss's professional background. Bari Weiss founded The Free Press.