Business
Bari Weiss: Redefining Media with Unconventional Perspectives
Explore how Bari Weiss is reshaping the media landscape by challenging norms and presenting unconventional perspectives. Discover her insights on free speech, diversity of thought, and the future of journalism in a rapidly changing world.
Bari Weiss: A Unique Force in Media
Bari Weiss possesses two remarkable superpowers, as attested by those who know her well: the ability to cultivate useful adversaries and the knack for forging valuable alliances. As the driving force behind The Free Press, an emerging media company with aspirations of reshaping the landscape of traditional journalism, Ms. Weiss, 40, has adeptly identified a diverse array of reliable opponents. These include the illiberal left, the pervasive influence of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, critics of Israel, and her former employer, The New York Times, where she worked until 2020.
For her perceived transgressions against prevailing groupthink, Ms. Weiss implies that she has been cast out from the media “cool kids’ table,” but she embraces this exile with no remorse. “I don’t need to be among the beautiful people,” she remarked at a recent conference in San Diego, hosted by an asset management executive who considers himself a devoted admirer. “I’m perfectly fine associating with the nerds.”
Interestingly, influential figures from both sides of the ideological spectrum seem to appreciate her company. Through her news and opinion platform—characterized by provocative headlines such as “Camping Out at Columbia’s Communist Coachella” and “The Secret Service Failed. What Does That Have to Do With DEI?”—alongside her popular podcast, “Honestly with Bari Weiss”, and a lucrative career on the speaking circuit, Ms. Weiss has achieved considerable prominence in what might be described as the no-tribes tribe of American influence.
She has not only created a distinct space for herself but has also established a new “cool kids’ table” of her own, positioning herself as a purveyor of uncomfortable truths. In doing so, she has become a brand ambassador for the views and passions of her audience, which often resonate closely with her own beliefs: that elite universities have lost their way, that legacy media outlets have lost their sanity, and that Ms. Weiss possesses the insight to illuminate the path forward.