Bill Owens Joins Newpress After $12 Million Raise, Taking Executive Producer Role in March
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 25
Bill Owens Joins Newpress After $12 Million Raise, Taking Executive Producer Role in March
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 25
Summary
Bill Owens, the former “60 Minutes” executive producer, said he will join video-journalism start-up Newpress on March 1, when his CBS noncompete expires.
Owens said he chose Newpress to make journalism free of the corporate interference he says pushed him out of CBS, where added oversight had encroached on the show’s independence.
Newpress raised $12 million from funders led by Emerson Collective and plans to use the money to launch new shows and expand into newsletters and podcasts.
Founded in 2024 by Iz Harris and Johnny Harris, Newpress backs independent video creators with research, fact-checking, production and business support while sharing profits.
Owens’ move underscores how veteran TV journalists are increasingly shifting toward creator-led digital outlets as traditional news organizations face political, advertiser and ownership pressures.