Overview of The Powers That Be — "The Bari Trials & Politico’s Succession Season"
Peter Hamby interviews Dylan Byers about the turmoil at CBS News under Bari/Bari/“Barry” Weiss (transcript uses “Barry Weiss”) and the upcoming leadership shake-up at Politico after John Harris’s move to executive chairman. The conversation assesses what critics get right and wrong about Weiss, the cultural and operational problems at CBS News, and what Axel Springer likely wants from Politico’s next editor‑in‑chief.
Key takeaways
- The core thesis that broadcast television news needs to be shaken up is broadly correct — but execution and workplace management matter deeply.
- The biggest problem at CBS News under Weiss is managerial: lack of newsroom experience, poor internal communication, and talent morale issues more than a clear partisan takeover.
- There is no smoking‑gun evidence tying editorial decisions directly to owner influence (the Ellisons), though those political ties raise legitimate concerns.
- Politico is financially healthy thanks to lucrative policy verticals/subscriptions, but Axel Springer likely wants it to regain cultural and political influence — which could mean an outside hire to lead the newsroom.
Barry Weiss and CBS News — what’s going wrong (and what’s right)
- The broad diagnosis is valid: broadcast news is declining and requires change. Many insiders agree something needs to be fixed.
- Where Weiss falters:
- Lacks deep TV-news operational experience; makes avoidable tactical mistakes (e.g., not attending 60 Minutes screenings, poor coordination around segments).
- Comes across as a tech/startup founder mentality — “hustle and break things” — which clashes with legacy TV culture and requires more finesse than she’s shown.
- Communication failures with talent and staff have created deep resentment: sources describe a workplace where people “hate each other,” which undermines any turnaround.
- She has been forced to operate in a vacuum partly because CBS News lacks a chief communications person, leaving her to manage external messaging awkwardly.
- What critics get right:
- The complaints about incompetence, poor transition management, and strained relations with legacy staff.
- Legitimate concerns about optics when owners or outsiders with political ties are involved, even if direct editorial interference hasn’t been proven.
- What critics get wrong or overstate:
- Simplifying Weiss’s politics as the sole explanation; the on‑air product is reportedly more nuanced than the caricature of partisan capture.
- Assuming change is inherently bad — many agree change is needed — but the method and internal buy‑in matter.
The business stakes
- Broadcast ratings still matter: failure to perform affects ad revenue and profitability (example cited: CNN’s profit drop).
- Even with a correct strategic diagnosis, mishandling operations, talent, and product execution will cause ratings, ad, and subscription fallout — risking existential problems for legacy networks.
Politico succession — what Axel Springer likely wants
- John Harris’s move to executive chairman opens a rare leadership inflection point at Politico after two decades of consistent top leadership.
- Politico’s business: financially healthy, driven by specialty policy verticals that sell well to institutional subscribers — stable and lucrative.
- Axel Springer / Matthias Döpfner’s likely aim: restore or increase Politico’s influence and newsroom “teeth,” not just maintain the profitable policy business.
- Candidate dynamics:
- Internal names (Kerry Budoff Brown, Alex Burns) are floated, but internal politics and fit issues may complicate choices.
- Axel Springer may favor an external hire, similar to its earlier approach at Business Insider, to inject new energy and public-facing influence into the brand.
Notable quotes from the episode
- “None of it's great. It's all just as bad as it looks.” — Dylan Byers on the Weiss tenure.
- Weiss came in with “the mentality of a tech founder… who wants to hustle and break things.” — observation drawn from the New Yorker profile.
- “You can overhaul CBS News and fix a dying broadcast news network if everyone who ostensibly supposed to be on the same team hates each other” — on why internal culture matters.
Actionable recommendations / what needs to happen
- For CBS News to survive and transform:
- Immediate emphasis on rebuilding internal trust: listening tours, fact‑finding phase, make peace with key talent.
- Install or empower experienced operational leaders (newsroom manager, chief communications officer) to handle day‑to‑day TV mechanics.
- Balance bold strategic change with operational discipline — finesse the transition rather than purely “breaking things.”
- For Axel Springer / Politico:
- Decide whether the priority is profitability (maintain policy verticals) or renewed influence (hire an editorial leader who can restore high‑impact journalism).
- If influence is the goal, consider an external heavyweight with both newsroom credibility and a vision for political impact.
Bottom line
The episode frames two media leadership problems as different sides of the same coin: correct diagnoses and ambitions (shake up broadcast news; restore Politico’s influence) can still fail if execution, internal politics, and managerial competence aren’t handled well. Weiss’s critics are right that the transition has been bungled; Axel Springer’s Politico moment is an opportunity to choose a leader who can marry business health with renewed editorial energy.