Core Insights - Skydance CEO David Ellison is in early discussions to acquire Bari Weiss's online news site, The Free Press, potentially to integrate her right-of-center perspective into CBS News following the approval of Skydance's merger with Paramount [1][5][4] Group 1: Company Developments - The Free Press was founded by Bari Weiss in 2021 after her departure from the New York Times, aiming to provide an alternative to left-leaning media [2][13] - The site has over 136,000 subscribers paying approximately $8 per month, with a total of around 1.5 million free and paid subscribers [16] - Skydance is awaiting Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval for its $8 billion merger with Paramount Global, which has faced scrutiny over alleged liberal bias in CBS News [5][17] Group 2: Key Individuals - David Ellison has been in talks with Bari Weiss for several months regarding her potential role in shaping CBS News' editorial direction, although not in a managerial capacity [3][4] - Weiss has been vocal about her experiences with media bias and has created content addressing various controversial topics, including antisemitism and media trust issues [14][15] Group 3: Industry Context - The discussions between Ellison and Weiss are taking place against the backdrop of CBS News's ongoing challenges with its editorial direction and internal culture, which some sources describe as resistant to change [7][8][10] - The recent settlement of a lawsuit involving CBS News and President Trump highlights the network's contentious relationship with conservative figures and the implications for its editorial stance [6][12]