On Tuesday morning at CBS News’ global headquarters on the West Side of Manhattan, Bari Weiss walked into a packed room of anxious employees and took the stage. Staffers at the David Ellison–owned network have been waiting for months to hear directly from their new leader, whom many have grown increasingly skeptical of. Though Weiss has been at the helm of CBS News since early October, many who work for the new editor in chief have never actually met her. Others have been eager to raise tough questions, especially after her meddling with crown-jewel franchises like “60 Minutes” and the “CBS Evening News.”

Which is to say, Weiss’ all-hands meeting was both highly anticipated and a big moment for the embattled CBS News chief. A lot was on the line—something she surely recognized as she stepped behind a podium in front of the “Evening News” desk to address those assembled in person, as well as those viewing across the world. Dressed in a dark suit, Weiss began by attacking the elephant in the room.

“I need to start by acknowledging that there’s been a lot of noise around me taking this job,” she said, according to a transcript of her prepared remarks provided to Status. She continued, “So let me start by saying: I get it. I also get why, in the face of all this tumult, you might feel uncertain or skeptical about me or what I’m aiming to do here.”

“I’m not going to stand up here today and ask you for your trust,” Weiss added. “I’m going to earn it, just like we have to do with viewers.”