Overview
- George Clooney told Variety that “Bari Weiss is dismantling CBS News as we speak,” adding that a functioning press is essential in an era of misinformation.
- Bari Weiss responded with an open invitation for Clooney to visit the CBS Broadcast Center, noting she is working to relaunch the Evening News on January 5.
- Weiss recently delayed a 60 Minutes report on deportations to El Salvador’s CECOT prison, a decision correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi disputed as political after internal vetting.
- Clooney criticized ABC and CBS for settling with Trump, referencing reported payments of about $15 million by Disney/ABC and $16 million by Paramount/CBS.
- Coverage links the CBS settlement to the Skydance-Paramount merger, which received FCC approval the same month, and House Democrats have opened an inquiry into whether the payout influenced the deal.