Bari Weiss has long been blessed with two superpowers, those close to her say: She knows how to make useful enemies, and she knows how to make useful friends.
As the founder, public face and heat-seeking curator of The Free Press, a new media company with ambitions to overtake the old media, Ms. Weiss, 40, has identified a mélange of reliable foils: the illiberal left; diversity, equity and inclusion programs; opponents of Israel; The New York Times, where Ms. Weiss worked until 2020.
For her sins against groupthink, Ms. Weiss has suggested, she faced eviction from the media “cool kids’ table,” without regret.
“I don’t need to be with the beautiful people,” she said at a conference in San Diego recently, hosted by an asset management executive who describes himself as her devoted groupie.
“I’m OK being with the nerds.”
Persons:
Bari Weiss, Weiss, groupthink, ”
Organizations:
The Free Press, The New York Times
Locations:
San Diego