CBS News is making aggressive moves to reshape its lineup, with Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss reportedly setting her sights on CNN contributor Scott Jennings, according to multiple media outlets.
Weiss invited Jennings to CBS News headquarters in New York City for discussions, Semafor and the New York Post reported Monday.
The outreach comes as Weiss works to transform the network’s image under new ownership.
Jennings has emerged as a conservative favorite for his willingness to defend President Donald Trump on CNN’s airwaves.
The Salem Radio Network host previously served in the George W. Bush administration and worked as an aide to Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Weiss took the helm at CBS News after Skydance acquired Paramount, the network’s parent company.
In early October, Skydance purchased Weiss’s media outlet The Free Press for $150 million as part of the transaction.
The hiring represents a significant shift for CBS News. Skydance CEO David Ellison gave Weiss a clear directive to bring balance back to the network’s coverage, NPR reported.
“We believe the majority of the country longs for news that is balanced and fact-based, and we want CBS to be their home,” Ellison stated in an Oct. 6 announcement revealing both Weiss’s appointment and The Free Press acquisition.
The network recently settled a $10 billion lawsuit brought by Trump.
The suit centered on CBS’s editing of an October 2024 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris during her presidential campaign against Trump.
The settlement drew internal criticism at CBS, including from outgoing “CBS Evening News” co-host John Dickerson.
Jennings may not be the only high-profile addition Weiss is pursuing. The editor-in-chief has been searching for a new weekday anchor for the evening news broadcast.
Fox News “Special Report” anchor Bret Baier is reportedly on Weiss’s radar as a potential poaching target.
Oliver Darcy first reported the interest in Baier through his Status newsletter.
Any move for Baier may face significant obstacles.
He remains under contract with Fox through 2028 at a reported salary of $14 million annually, according to Mediaite.
Former “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell could also return to the anchor desk, according to reports outlined by the Daily Caller.
O’Donnell left the position in January 2025, making way for Dickerson and co-host Maurice DuBois.
Jennings may prove an easier acquisition for CBS.
Unlike Baier, Jennings does not hold a full-time position at CNN, the New York Post reported.
This status could give him greater flexibility to accept an offer from CBS.
