Last Updated on 37 minutes ago by TodayWhy Editorial
As Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery — CNN’s parent company — edges toward completion, one of CNN’s biggest stars has reportedly drawn a personal line in the sand. According to The New York Times, Anderson Cooper has told colleagues he has no interest in working for Bari Weiss, the CBS News editor-in-chief who could end up with editorial oversight of CNN once the deal closes. Here’s what’s actually behind the tension.
Why Anderson Cooper Is Resisting Bari Weiss
The friction traces back to a real, if brief, overlap: Cooper spent two decades as a correspondent on “60 Minutes” before stepping away in April 2026, around the same time Weiss — installed as CBS News editor-in-chief in October 2025 — began overhauling the program. Cooper didn’t name Weiss in his farewell segment, but he stressed the show’s need for editorial independence, a comment that landed amid a wave of internal complaints about her leadership. Sources told the Times that Cooper has since made clear, privately, that he does not want to report to Weiss if she’s given authority over CNN.
Why the CNN-CBS Merger Puts Them in the Same Room
The tension only matters because of corporate timing. Paramount, which owns CBS, is in the final stages of acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN, HBO and the Warner Bros. film studio. The Department of Justice has already cleared the deal on antitrust grounds, though it still faces review from the European Union and the United Kingdom, and several Democratic state attorneys general — including California’s Rob Bonta — have signaled they may try to block it. Once the merger closes, CBS News and CNN would sit under the same corporate roof for the first time, run by Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison.
Why Bari Weiss Is a Lightning Rod at CBS
Weiss arrived at CBS News after Ellison spent $150 million to acquire her outlet, The Free Press, and name her editor-in-chief — a notable bet given she had no prior background in broadcast journalism. Since then, she has pushed a sweeping overhaul of CBS News: restructuring “CBS Evening News,” replacing longtime “60 Minutes” executive producer Tanya Simon with Nick Bilton, and cutting staff. Fired “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley publicly accused Weiss of “putting a thumb on the scale” for the Trump administration — a claim CBS News has called not credible — and separately said the bigger issue was incompetence rather than political interference.
Why Ellison’s Ties to Trump Add to the Anxiety
David Ellison’s father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, is a major Trump donor, and the president has publicly said he wants to see CNN sold and brought “back to its former credibility,” in his words following CNN founder Ted Turner’s death in May. Ellison has hosted Trump-honoring events even as the administration weighed whether to challenge the merger, which has fed concerns inside CNN that political considerations could shape editorial decisions once Weiss potentially gains influence over the network. For his part, Ellison told CNBC that CNN’s editorial independence “will absolutely be maintained” after the deal closes.
Why CNN’s Own Leadership Is Pushing Back Too
Cooper isn’t the only one drawing boundaries. CNN CEO Mark Thompson has reportedly told Paramount officials he will not share oversight of the network with another executive, regardless of who that is. Tech journalist Kara Swisher has said publicly she would leave CNN if Ellison replaced Thompson with someone else. Whether Weiss ends up with formal authority over CNN, a narrower advisory role, or no role at all remains unresolved — Ellison has reportedly also considered pairing her with a more experienced television executive instead of giving her sole oversight.
FAQ
Is the CNN-CBS merger finalized?
Not yet. The U.S. Department of Justice has cleared it on antitrust grounds, but the European Union and United Kingdom are still reviewing it, and several state attorneys general have signaled they may try to block it.
Has Anderson Cooper publicly commented on Bari Weiss?
No. A spokesperson for Cooper declined to comment on the reports, and Cooper has not addressed the situation directly in public.
Will Bari Weiss actually run CNN?
It’s not decided. Reports indicate Ellison is weighing giving her oversight of CNN, pairing her with a more experienced TV executive, or another arrangement entirely.
Why was Scott Pelley fired from 60 Minutes?
Pelley was let go amid a broader restructuring of the show under Weiss. He has publicly criticized the change in leadership and direction, while CBS News has disputed his characterization of political bias.