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CBS News should be in for an interesting week.
Staffers from the network’s news division have until Tuesday to explain what they do during working hours to their new boss, editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, but the Writers Guild of America East, which represents some CBS News employees, has urged staffers not to respond until the network answers a series of questions.
Weiss, who began serving as CBS News new editor-in-chief last week after Paramount CEO David Ellison officially purchased her outlet, The Free Press, has made it clear she wants to hold “both American political parties to equal scrutiny.” On Friday, she sent a note to CBS News staffers asking each member of the organization to detail what they do, and what they believe is working or not working, by Tuesday.
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“I want to understand how you spend your working hours — and, ideally, what you’ve made (or are making) that you’re most proud of. I’m also interested in hearing your views on what’s working; what’s broken or substandard; and how we can be better. Please be blunt — it will help me greatly,” Weiss wrote.
“I’ll read all of them carefully. And they will be held in the strictest of confidence. Then I’ll use your memo as a discussion guide for when I meet with most of you (ideally, all of you if time permits) in the coming few weeks,” she continued. “The goal is simple: I want to familiarize myself with you — and I want you to do the same with me — to know that we are aligned on achieving a shared vision for CBS News.”
Weiss’ request irked the Guild, which suggested CBS News staffers “refrain from responding” to their new boss until more information is provided.
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“We are aware that Bari Weiss sent an email asking CBS employees to provide information about their jobs and feedback to CBS News. Many of you have expressed concern to us about the purpose of the email, and we share those concerns,” the Guild wrote in the memo obtained by Fox News Digital.
“This is why we sent the company an immediate demand to provide information about the email by Monday,” the Guild added. “We suggest that you refrain from responding until we are able to share the information that we receive so that you can make an informed decision by the Tuesday deadline.”
The Guild requested a list of everyone who received the email from Weiss, a list of who will have access to responses provided by employees, whether responses will be the basis for “discipline, discharge or layoffs,” information on what type of consequences would stem from not responding to Weiss’ email, an explanation of what CBS plans to do with the responses, details on whether CBS will use artificial intelligence to review emails and an outline of steps taken to prove the results will be “non-discriminatory.”
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The Guild did not immediately respond on Monday morning when asked if CBS had provided answers.
CBS News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Weiss’ ascension has drawn considerable media attention, and plenty of scathing liberal criticism along with it. Liberal HBO comedian John Oliver dedicated a 34-minute segment to ripping her on “Last Week Tonight” on Sunday.
Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
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