Overview
- Reports say Weiss has been seeking a prominent interview and has held talks with New York Times podcast host Michael Barbaro as part of a media push to repair her reputation.
- Some Paramount and CBS executives have advised against the interview because they fear it would revive ethics allegations and provide new material for critics.
- The controversy follows a rapid late-May management shakeup at CBS, the firing of veteran correspondent Scott Pelley, mass staff departures and a sharp fall in ratings under Weiss’s leadership.
- Company leaders have tried to steady operations by promoting veteran producers, hiring outside consultants and having Paramount CEO David Ellison privately pledge noninterference to senior journalists.
- If Weiss goes forward with a high-profile appearance it could heighten scrutiny of CBS, risk undermining staff morale, and create public-relations complications that could affect the pending deal and how regulators and attorneys general view the acquisition.