A top CBS News executive said in a staff meeting on Monday that morning show co-host Tony Dokoupil did not uphold the network’s editorial standards when he grilled author Ta-Nehisi Coates during a Sept. 30 interview, according to
The Washington Post.During the interview, Dokoupil confronted Coates right from the start and questioned the credibility of the award-winning author’s new book, “The Message,” which he said “delegitimizes the pillars of Israel” and could have been written by an “extremist.” (Coates writes about his visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank and delves into how this experience has informed his criticism of “apartheid” in Israel.)
During the all-staff meeting on Monday morning, CBS News executive Adrienne Roark said an internal review determined that the interview was not in line with the network’s commitment to neutrality. She added that the matter has been “addressed” internally, without providing any specifics.
“We all must conduct ourselves in a way that avoids raising any questions about our journalistic independence and integrity,” said Roark, who did not mention Dokoupil by name. “We have to check our biases at the door.”
Roark’s sentiment was seconded by Wendy McMahon, the executive ultimately in charge of the network, according to an employee who listened to the call and spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.
In a moment that surprised CBS News employees, chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford pushed back on Roark and argued that the interview upheld the network’s journalistic purpose and mission. While network morning shows are normally geared toward lighter fare that is more palatable to a daybreak audience, “CBS Mornings” has distinguished itself by being more news-heavy.
“I thought our commitment was to truth,” Crawford said, according to an audio recording of the meeting published by the Free Press. “And when someone comes on our air with a one-sided account of a very complex situation, as Coates himself acknowledges that he has, it’s my understanding that as journalists we are obligated to challenge that worldview so that our viewers can have that access to the truth or a fuller account, a more balanced account. And, to me, that is what Tony did.”
After Crawford’s comments, many CBS News employees who attended via Zoom turned off their video cameras, the employee on the call said. Roark’s comments were first reported by Puck.
The interview with Coates drew immediate backlash from observers on social media, including many who said the guest was ambushed. Some also pointed out that Dokoupil has two children who live in Israel, which could be seen as a conflict of interest. (Dokoupil has previously talked about his children on the show. “Just as a father, I think people can understand if somebody, anybody, is firing rockets in the direction of your children, without regard to whether they are struck or not, you’re going to feel a thing or two,” he said two days after the Hamas attack.)
