Subscribe nowLets do the fucking news, Bari Weiss declared on a CBS News editorial call last week, telling network stafferswho reportedly rolled their eyes and cringedthat she wants to win.The call occurred a day after it was announced that Weiss sold her right-leaning opinion news outlet, The Free Press, to Paramount for a whopping $150 million. To sweeten the deal, Weiss was named editor-in-chief of CBS News, becoming the first openly gay person to lead the network thats famous for news icons like Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather and for 60 Minutes, which has won 150 Emmys through its 58-season run.For many venerable journalists at my former place of work, Weiss new role is alarming in part because of her conservative ideological bent butmost importantlybecause of her background.Weiss has zero experience in broadcast news and has spent much of her career working as an associate editorial features editor for The Wall Street Journal and subsequently as an opinion editor at The New York Times, where she became notorious for casting doubt on allegations of sexual harassment, assault and rape and for whining about her frustrations with cancel culture, social justice warriors and the PC police.Weiss has also spent much of her career telling Americans that the mainstream media sucks and has used that argument to convince them that The Free Press, which has received funding from billionaire investors and whose slogan is Honest. Independent. Fearless. was the answer. If youre someone that used to read the New York Times and listen to NPR in the morning, and now youre thinking to yourself, I dont know if I can trust what I hear or read there anymore, where do you go? Those people want a publication that will treat them like adults, with respect and transparency, and honesty. And thats what were going to try to do with The Free Press, Weiss said in a 2022 interview shortly after the launch of the media company.Beyond Weiss self-aggrandizing critiques of mainstream media lies a track record that is antithetical to CBS News reputation for bulletproof journalism. A notable example of this is in 2023 when The Free Press published a story called I Thought I Was Saving Trans Kids. Now Im Blowing the Whistle, where author Jamie Reed claimed that practitioners at The Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Childrens Hospital had permanently harmed multiple children.The article had a profound impact. After it was published, the state of Missouri launched an investigation into the clinic, and Reed was called to testify in support of a bill passed later that year banning gender-affirming care for minors.The problem with the story was that it was sloppy: an internal investigation by Washington University found that Reeds claims were unsubstantiated, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch spoke with multiple parents whose experiences directly contradicted her account; and NBC News interviewed more than two dozen people associated with the clinic, none of whom corroborated her allegations. In addition, First Alert 4 KMOV interviewed the family of one trans kid mentioned in the article, where Reed claimed that their child had suffered liver damage due to botched treatment and that the family had considered suing. The family said neither claim was true.The New York Times was the only outlet able to find anyone who had received care from the clinic and shared Reeds criticisms. Their article still noted that Its clear the St. Louis clinic benefited many adolescents: Eighteen patients and parents said that their experiences there were overwhelmingly positive, and they refuted Ms. Reeds depiction of it.Despite this, Weiss claimed the article confirmed Reeds account.There are many other examples of missed fact-checks and weak journalism. The Free Press claimed that children in Gaza were starving because of preexisting health conditions in order to challenge reports of famine in the region, a claim that an expert called as callous as it is inaccurate. They published another story about how in the deep-blue city of Austin, Texas, crime had gone up under a progressive district attorney, even though it hadnt and was actually at the lowest in the past four years.Weiss has done a remarkable job at capitalizing on polarized Americans who have been convinced, in large part by the president, to believe mainstream media is untrustworthy. She fed a huge part of Americas right-of-center population information that would satiate their appetite for confirmation bias.But as she takes the reins at a news network known for journalistic integrity, rigorous fact-checking and straightforward news, will Weiss be able to help the company succeed while at the same time maintaining the journalistic standards of the newsroom?Probably not.Legendary transgender activist Miss Major dies at 78 (The 19th)Known as a surrogate mother of her community, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy leaves behind a legacy as a fierce advocate for trans and LGBTQ+ rights.I love Hitler: Young Republican leaders spout racist, anti-LGBTQ+ views in leaked chat (LGBTQ Nation)Slurs like fa**ot, ret**ded, and the n-word appeared more than 251 times in the chats.Zohran Mamdani honors trans activist Sylvia Rivera, says NYC will be a pro-trans sanctuary city (LGBTQ Nation)The New York City mayoral candidate gave his followers an important history lesson while pledging to fight the presidents transphobic attacks.Trump posthumously awards Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom (ABC News)Tuesday marks what would have been Kirks 32nd birthday.Two men injured in homophobic attack on Hells Kitchen street, cops say (AMNY)The NYPDs Hate Crime Task Force is searching for a man who allegedly assaulted two men while hurling homophobic slurs on a Hells Kitchen street early Sunday, police said.Over the next week, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting: On Saturday, my boyfriend and best friend Sean Robinson opens up about surviving religious trauma, conversion therapy and years of shame after growing up being told to believe that being gay was demonic. From small New Order Amish and Mennonite communities to editing RuPauls Drag Race in New York City, Seans story is one of survival, resilience and the power of finding belonging. On Tuesday, Uncloseted takes to the streets to cover the No Kings protest, exploring how attacks on LGBTQ rights can often signal a more profound democratic decline.Thanks for reading! Feel free to email me with questions, complaints and story ideas! Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief spencer@unclosetedmedia.comIf objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button:Donate to Uncloseted Media