About The Free Press
The Free Press is a media company founded by Bari Weiss. Its own about page states that it was “originally called Common Sense” and describes it as “a new media company built on the ideals that once were the bedrock of great American journalism: honesty, doggedness, and fierce independence,” publishing “investigative stories and provocative commentary about the world as it actually is.”
Stated Values
The company publishes eight values it says bind “our leadership, our employees, [and] our investors”: honesty, curiosity, respect, hard work, independence, excellence, common sense, and “belief in the American project.” It describes itself as “proudly not a political monolith” and states that “independence isn’t just a journalistic value for us; it’s also fundamental to the way we are building our business.” It says its focus is on “stories that are ignored or misconstrued in the service of an ideological narrative,” and tells readers “you won’t agree with everything we run. And we think that’s exactly the point.”
These are the company’s descriptions of itself, quoted and attributed as such. This page does not endorse or evaluate them.
Podcast and CBS News
The Free Press is the listed publisher of the Honestly with Bari Weiss podcast, whose feed points to thefp.com/podcasts as its home. That show has been on hiatus since January 2026; the feed’s most recent item, from April 2026, is the first episode of a different programme.
CBS News’ own site navigation carries a top-level section headed “The Free Press,” listed among CBS News’ own shows. The section page returned HTTP 404 when checked, so this page records only what the navigation shows and does not characterize the arrangement further.
Sourcing Note
The founded: 2022 value is removed: the about page names Common Sense as the original title but gives no date for either name. The reach line “400k+ newsletter subscribers” is removed as unsourced.
Also removed as unsourceable: the named reporters (Nellie Bowles, Eli Lake) and the subject list attributed to them; the description of the business model as relying on “Substack-style memberships, branded events, and partnerships”; the specific limited series “The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling”; and the claim that it “organizes in-person festivals.” The about page mentions live events in general terms, which is the most this page states.
Sources
- 01.
The Free Press. About The Free Press. The company's own about page. Source for its founding by Bari Weiss, for the fact that it was "originally called Common Sense," for its self-description as "a new media company built on the ideals that once were the bedrock of great American journalism: honesty, doggedness, and fierce independence," and for its eight published values — honesty, curiosity, respect, hard work, independence, excellence, common sense and "belief in the American project" — which it states apply "from our leadership, to our employees, to our investors."
- 02.
The Free Press. Honestly with Bari Weiss — podcast RSS feed. Lists The Free Press as the podcast's publisher and thefp.com/podcasts as its home, establishing the relationship between the newsroom and the show. Also records that the show went on hiatus in January 2026.