Transactional Politics Undermine Media Integrity and Brand Resilience

Key Quotes

"Bari maintains that this was a -- that the the reporting did not meet her standards right that's -- that's you know door number one door number two which seems to be the prevailing wisdom among -- everyone outside of the building and a lot of folks inside the building including the reporter who worked on the story is that -- it absolutely met 60 Minutes standards -- it had been significantly fact checked and lawyered and you don't you don't run a teaser for a segment if if you haven't done that indeed I've grown quite familiar in my reporting with the process that these 60 Minutes packages go through so fine that's door that's door two either way you look at it what this whole story underscores for me is -- really Bari's achilles heel and it's not her politics David Ellison is fine with her politics -- her achilles heel is is her inexperience in TV land and really a sort of broader I think lack of organization"

Dylan Byers argues that the controversy surrounding Bari Weiss's decision to pull a segment from "60 Minutes" highlights her inexperience in television news. Byers suggests that while Weiss may have strong political views, her lack of familiarity with the operational demands of a television network is her primary vulnerability. This inexperience, he posits, is leading to managerial missteps that attract negative attention.

"What I do think is pretty is crystal clear now is that -- everyone in our world -- everyone who pays any attention to 60 Minutes is certainly paying a lot more attention to Bari's decision right by virtue by virtue of of the way that she handled it and you know I guess I guess my my feeling on that is like that is that is an unforced error that is that is a blunder you don't have to do that there are actually ways if you are fully in control of the business you are running let's let's even accept the the argument that it was a political decision there are still ways to do it without attracting this much attention and this much noise and I guess that is where that is where I see the steep learning curve for her here"

Dylan Byers contends that Bari Weiss's handling of the "60 Minutes" segment controversy was an "unforced error." He believes that even if the decision to pull the segment was politically motivated, there were more strategic ways to manage the situation that would have avoided significant public scrutiny. Byers points to this as evidence of Weiss's steep learning curve in her role.

"The bigger tension which is the one you alluded to and which we talked about earlier is the not just the inexperience but the lack of managerial strength and I think that that I go back to my earliest reporting on Bari taking over CBS and the one thing that people kept telling me was that she's not a manager she can't manage her own calendar and I just think about the I think about the ways in which she -- she's coming in she's moving fast she's trying to move fast and break things -- if you want to do that and you want to do it under the spotlight in this media environment at the time when your parent company is trying to get a deal done you have to be on your A game and you can't leave yourself vulnerable and that is what I see here is that whatever whatever's happened in the room and I will unfortunately spend too many hours of the week of Christmas trying to answer those questions she's not on top of it and that is that is her true vulnerability here"

Dylan Byers reiterates that Bari Weiss's core issue is a lack of managerial strength and inexperience, not necessarily her political leanings. He recalls early reporting that highlighted her inability to manage her schedule, suggesting this translates to a broader inability to handle the pressures of her role. Byers concludes that Weiss is not "on top of it," making her vulnerable in a high-stakes media environment.

"The other one is exactly what you're talking about it is a political it is a political change and it is the the sort of very rapid acceptance of the transactional nature of this administration and the way that business leaders across across industries but certainly in media are willing to play ball with the president and understand what the rules of the game are now and the way that the way that has reflected across organizations and I you know look it's -- it's -- I feel again no one spends more time talking about these legacy media companies and decline than than you and I but they do matter and they do represent something about the kind of world that people that I think most citizens would like to live in and when they see those things getting touched when they see whether it's a Sunday night news magazine or a late night show or a newspaper that I think that sets off a nerve that you know I I try to divorce politics from business in my coverage and really just focus on the business but politics has thrown itself into the center of business in 2025 in a very very again brazen way and that it it's impossible to ignore just how much the world has changed since you know whatever it was January 21st and today"

Dylan Byers identifies a significant trend in media for 2025: the transactional nature of business dealings with the current administration. He argues that business leaders, particularly in media, are increasingly willing to engage with the president and adapt to the prevailing political climate. Byers emphasizes that this political entanglement is impacting traditional media brands, which still hold significance for many citizens, and has fundamentally altered the business landscape.

"The other thing too it's not like you know you can look at the Sulzbergers and they are champions of what they do you can look at the Murdochs they're champions of what they do politically very different organizations the Murdochs love owning news that is that is like that is caked into Rupert's DNA the Sulzbergers that is their life that is their business I can't I don't I'm looking you know like thinking here as I sit in the middle of Hollywood with with studios to the like northeast west and south of me I don't know if there's a single studio out here that actually is happy about the fact that they own I don't know that Disney is really thrilled about owning ABC anymore I certainly I certainly know the Ellisons and aren't thrilled about owning CBS News it's not worth the headaches"

Dylan Byers contrasts media organizations that embrace ownership of news divisions, like the Sulzbergers and Murdochs, with those that find it burdensome. He suggests that while some leaders are deeply committed to their news properties, others, such as the Ellisons at CBS News and potentially Disney with ABC, view them as liabilities rather than assets due to the associated headaches. Byers implies that for many, the strategic value of owning a news network has diminished.

"The worst media story of the year you know what the worst media story of the year I think you and I are going to agree on the Nitzigate 100 100 friend of the podcast Emily Sandberg's -- dig about us talking about it was so funny -- but I'm -- I'm very I forgot