CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is reportedly keen on poaching conservative commentator Scott Jennings from CNN.
The two met at the Tiffany Network’s New York headquarters last week, according to the news site Semafor.
The new CBS News boss’ reported overture to Jennings comes during a time of flux at the network.
The Post reported on Monday that John Dickerson, co-anchor of the “CBS Evening News,” is leaving the network at the end of the year.
Dickerson, who will continue to co-anchor the nightly newscast with Maurice DuBois until his departure, is set to exit as the entire news division at CBS braces for a round of painful job cuts.
Jennings, a former George W. Bush administration staffer as well as an ex-aide to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), has gained cult status among conservatives for his feisty pro-Trump advocacy on CNN, which employs him as a contributor.
Given that Jennings is not a full-time employee at the network, he is free to meet with anyone, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
A CNN spokesperson declined to comment. The Post has sought comment from Jennings, CBS News and Weiss.
Legacy media outlets have been showing greater interest in Jennings as his popularity has grown online.
Earlier this year, Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong revealed that he reached out to the pundit about a possible role with the newspaper’s “LAT Next” media venture.
Last week, the Status newsletter reported that Weiss was mulling the possibility of bringing Fox News anchor Bret Baier aboard to helm the evening news on CBS.
Baier, the host of the nightly news wrap-up show “Special Report with Bret Baier,” is under contract with Fox News through the end of 2028. A network spokesperson declined to comment.
Fox News is a subsidiary of Fox Corp — sister company to News Corp, which owns The Post.
David Ellison-owned Paramount Skydance hired Weiss for the top editorial job at CBS News with the mandate of making the network more “balanced” and “fact-based.”
The 41-year-old exec, who sold her Free Press newsletter to Paramount for a reported $150 million, is eager to put her stamp on the news division in the face of skepticism from rank-and-file staffers.
Norah O’Donnell, who left “CBS Evening News” earlier this year, met with Weiss and is being discussed as a possible candidate to reclaim her old job, The Post reported earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Gayle King’s future is uncertain as her multimillion-dollar contract expires next spring amid companywide cost-cutting.
If O’Donnell moves to “CBS Mornings,” King could be out, with co-host Tony Dokoupil potentially promoted to “Evening News.”
