A new media feud is brewing between Hollywood star George Clooney and CBS News’ editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
Clooney recently accused Weiss of ‘dismantling’ the network.
He cited her editorial decisions as evidence of Donald Trump’s growing influence over American media.
Weiss took charge in October after Paramount acquired her outlet The Free Press.
She fired back with a sharp but cordial reply.
“Bonjour, Mr. Clooney,” began her statement shared with The New York Post, referencing the actor’s French citizenship.
“Big fan of your work. It sounds like you’d like to learn more about ours,” she said in a statement.
She offered Clooney an ‘open invitation’ to visit the CBS Broadcast Center and tune in to the relaunch of Evening News on January 5.
Her tenure has already sparked controversy.
Weiss pulled a 60 Minutes segment covering Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration to a notorious El Salvador prison.
Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi called the move “political”, not “editorial.”
Alfonsi warned that requiring government approval for interviews risked turning 60 Minutes “from an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state”.
Clooney, meanwhile, blasted CBS and ABC for settling lawsuits with Trump instead of fighting back.
“If CBS and ABC had challenged those lawsuits and said, ‘Go f— yourself,’ we wouldn’t be where we are in the country,” he declared.
