Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Bari Weiss

Discover the career path of Bari Weiss, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Bari Weiss is an American political commentator, editor-in-chief at CBS News, and founder of The Free Press, where she also hosts the 'Honestly' podcast. Previously, she served as an op-ed editor at The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Weiss is known for her commentary on culture, politics, and current events, often engaging in discussions about free speech and intellectual diversity. She also writes a regular column for the German newspaper Die Welt.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

2004: Co-founded Columbians for Academic Freedom

In 2004, following the release of the film Columbia Unbecoming, Bari Weiss co-founded Columbians for Academic Freedom (CAF) with Aharon Horwitz, Daniella Kahane, and Ariel Beery. The organization addressed concerns about classroom intimidation of pro-Israel students.

2005: Founded The Current Magazine

In 2005, Bari Weiss founded The Current, a magazine at Columbia University that focused on politics, culture, and Jewish affairs.

2007: Graduation from Columbia University and other activities

In 2007, Bari Weiss graduated from Columbia University with a major in history. She was also a Wall Street Journal Bartley Fellow in 2007 and worked for Haaretz and The Forward.

2007: Works for Haaretz and The Forward

In 2007, Bari Weiss worked for Haaretz and The Forward. In Haaretz, she criticized the tenure promotion of Nadia Abu El-Haj.

2008: Dorot Fellow in Jerusalem

In 2008, Bari Weiss was a Dorot Fellow in Jerusalem.

2011: Senior News and Politics Editor at Tablet

In 2011, Bari Weiss became the senior news and politics editor at the American conservative magazine Tablet, a position she held until 2013.

2013: Joined The Wall Street Journal

In 2013, Bari Weiss began working as an op-ed and book review editor at The Wall Street Journal.

April 2017: Leaves The Wall Street Journal

In April 2017, Bari Weiss left The Wall Street Journal after Bret Stephens' departure, subsequently joining him at The New York Times.

2017: Hired by The New York Times

In 2017, Bari Weiss was hired by The New York Times as an op-ed staff editor and writer, focusing on culture and politics. She wrote about cultural appropriation and criticized the Women's March.

January 2018: Published "Aziz Ansari Is Guilty. Of Not Being a Mind Reader."

In January 2018, Bari Weiss published a piece titled "Aziz Ansari Is Guilty. Of Not Being a Mind Reader." in response to allegations against Aziz Ansari in the context of the #MeToo movement.

March 2018: Published "We're All Fascists Now"

In March 2018, Bari Weiss published the column "We're All Fascists Now", which was later corrected due to the use of a fake antifa Twitter account as an example.

May 2018: Published "Meet the Renegades of the Intellectual Dark Web"

In May 2018, Bari Weiss published "Meet the Renegades of the Intellectual Dark Web", profiling thinkers with unorthodox approaches.

2019: Published How to Fight Anti-Semitism

In her 2019 book, How to Fight Anti-Semitism, Bari Weiss described her experiences with leftist anti-Semitism at Columbia University.

How to Fight Anti-Semitism

Check it on Amazon

June 7, 2020: James Bennet Resigned from The New York Times

On June 7, 2020, James Bennet, the editorial page editor at the Times, resigned after the publication of an op-ed by Tom Cotton. Bari Weiss described the internal controversy as a civil war, which was disputed by other journalists.

July 14, 2020: Resigned from The New York Times

On July 14, 2020, Bari Weiss announced her departure from The New York Times, criticizing the newspaper for caving to Twitter criticism and failing to defend her.

October 27, 2020: Appeared on The View

On October 27, 2020, Bari Weiss appeared on The View to discuss cancel culture.

2020: Wrote Articles for Die Welt

In 2020, Bari Weiss began occasionally writing articles for the German newspaper Die Welt.

January 2021: Launched Common Sense Newsletter

In January 2021, Bari Weiss launched a Substack newsletter called Common Sense, which was later renamed The Free Press.

October 2025: Appointed Editor-in-Chief of CBS News

In October 2025, Paramount Skydance bought The Free Press for $150 million and installed Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News. The decision was followed by layoffs.