Bari Weiss Eyes Fox Anchor Bret Baier as CBS News Faces Shake-Up

CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss is reportedly considering Fox News anchor Bret Baier as a potential candidate to take over the CBS Evening News, according to several network sources familiar with the discussions.

Weiss, who assumed control of the CBS newsroom following David Ellison’s acquisition of the network earlier this year, has been spearheading a major internal overhaul aimed at redefining the brand’s direction and tone. Since taking the helm, she has introduced sweeping operational changes, demanded detailed reports from staff outlining their daily responsibilities, and taken a hands-on role in guest booking and editorial decisions.

Sources say Weiss has even influenced coverage priorities — including approving a feature centered on her sister, Suzy Weiss, co-founder of The Free Press, the digital media outlet Bari Weiss originally launched before joining CBS.

Now, in what many see as her boldest move yet, Weiss has begun quietly exploring new anchor options for CBS’s flagship evening program. Among the names floated internally, Bret Baier — one of Fox News’s most respected and high-profile journalists — is said to be at the top of her list.

Industry reporter Oliver Darcy of Status first revealed that Weiss has suggested Baier as an “outside prospect” for the position, alongside a handful of internal contenders such as Norah O’Donnell and Tony Dokoupil.

A Possible Network Crossover

Baier, who anchors Special Report on Fox News and reportedly earns over $14 million annually, renewed his contract with the network in 2023, extending his tenure through 2028. That long-term agreement makes a sudden move to CBS unlikely, but the discussions signal Weiss’s interest in shaking up CBS’s traditional approach — and possibly in attracting a more centrist or right-leaning audience segment.

According to network insiders, Weiss has expressed admiration for Baier’s reputation as a measured and credible Beltway journalist. Her outreach to figures outside the CBS ecosystem has been described by colleagues as a sign of how aggressively she intends to reimagine the network’s brand under Ellison’s ownership.

This isn’t the first time Weiss has attempted to bring in high-profile figures already under contract with Fox News. Shortly after assuming her new position, she reportedly tried to secure former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a Fox News contributor, for a televised panel discussion featuring former secretaries of state. That attempt fell through due to Pompeo’s exclusivity agreement with Fox.

Resistance and Culture Clash Inside CBS

Weiss’s arrival has not been without controversy. Appointed editor-in-chief earlier this month following Paramount’s acquisition of The Free Press, her selection drew mixed reactions both inside and outside the organization.

Critics have questioned her limited broadcast experience and pointed to her opinion-driven journalism background as evidence that she might clash with CBS’s traditional news culture. Supporters, however, argue that Weiss’s unconventional thinking is exactly what the network needs to regain relevance in a rapidly changing media landscape.

An anonymous CBS News insider told Fox News Digital that the newsroom’s resistance to Weiss comes primarily from two distinct camps — “the very young and the very old.”

“It’s the younger staffers who are a bit too progressive for their own good, and the older ones who still see CBS through the Walter Cronkite lens,” the insider explained. “They’re protective of a brand that hasn’t really existed for decades.”

According to the insider, those caught in the middle have largely embraced Weiss’s leadership.

“Everyone in between is saying, ‘Let’s try something new,’” they said. “Bari built a wildly successful media company on her own and has a sharp sense of where the culture is heading. Most of us recognize that CBS needed a course correction.”

A Network in Need of Renewal

CBS News has long trailed competitors ABC and NBC in ratings, with both CBS Evening News and CBS Mornings routinely ranking third in their time slots. Many staff members reportedly see Weiss’s leadership as a last opportunity to modernize and reverse that trend.

“When you’re consistently in third place, you should be open to fresh ideas,” another employee said. “Some people feared she’d destroy the brand, but that’s not what’s happening. She’s making us think differently.”

According to sources, Weiss has told colleagues she intends to steer CBS toward a more independent and intellectually rigorous model, one that avoids what she views as both the hyper-partisan tendencies of cable news and the complacency of legacy broadcast journalism.

While her critics accuse her of being too pro-Israel or anti-woke, others argue that Weiss’s editorial independence could be exactly what CBS needs to break out of its ratings rut.

“She’s pushed people to challenge assumptions,” one insider said. “It’s uncomfortable for some, but necessary if CBS wants to evolve.”

Whether Bret Baier would ever consider leaving Fox remains doubtful, but the mere fact that Weiss is pursuing such names reflects her willingness to disrupt conventional boundaries in television news.

As CBS undergoes one of its most significant transformations in years, insiders say one thing is certain — Bari Weiss is not playing by the old rules.