Bari Weiss Hires British Journalists to Diversify CBS News Editorial Voice

Bari Weiss, CBS News editor-in-chief, announced in early June 2026 the hiring of Trevor Phillips as senior global affairs correspondent, investigative reporter Josh Boswell from the Daily Mail, and Douglas Murray as a weekly columnist for the Free Press, her post-NYT outlet. The hires are part of Weiss’s broader effort to introduce opinion diversity and challenge what she perceives as uniform journalistic training.

The Guardian

After resigning from the New York Times six years ago over what she called an overly “woke” consensus, Weiss founded the Free Press, an “anti-woke” platform, and has faced persistent internal and external opposition since becoming CBS News chief eight months ago.

The Guardian

Six years separate Weiss’s NYT exit from the current hires; she has served eight months as CBS chief. At least three British journalists have joined, and UK talent is noted as cheaper.

The Guardian

A CBS spokesperson declined comment. Weiss said Phillips’s career exemplified a masterclass in seeing beyond groupthink. A CBS source said the hires do the kind of things that Bari is looking for; they are not puff pieces and kid gloves.

The Guardian

Critics note Phillips’s prior Labour Party suspension over alleged Islamophobia and his comment that UK Muslims are “a nation within a nation.” Justin Webb faced a BBC complaint for calling trans women “males.” A CBS staffer suggested the hires aim to shift CBS rightward.

The Guardian

The hires could steer CBS News’s global reporting toward perspectives aligned with Weiss’s anti-woke stance, potentially shifting the network’s editorial tone and influencing audience perception within the competitive U.S. media market.

The Guardian

Sources differ: some cite ideological opposition to a “woke consensus,” others point to lower cost of UK talent. CBS has offered no official rationale, and future UK hires remain undisclosed.

The Guardian

• “She’s been looking at various Brits that might add a bit of opinion/attitude diversity to US media, instead of the dominant, predictable Columbia Journalism School uniformity. Not a bad idea,” — Andrew Neil, former editor of *Sunday Times*

The Guardian

• “A CBS News source, describing Weiss’s interest in British journalists, said: “They do the kind of things that Bari is looking for; it’s not puff pieces and kid gloves.” — CBS News source

The Guardian

• “If her goal is to push CBS News to the right, including in global coverage, then these steps make sense, because in no other universe would they.” — CBS News staffer

The Guardian

• “a masterclass in seeing beyond groupthink” — Bari Weiss

The Guardian

Analysts anticipate additional UK hires and monitor upcoming CBS News programming for editorial shifts. Media watchdogs may examine the network’s coverage for evidence of a rightward reorientation, while CBS has not announced further recruitment plans.

The Guardian