Tony Dokoupilwho starts Monday as anchor of the “CBS Evening News,” spoke out on New Year's Day about where he thinks the press has gotten it wrong and vowed that, starting Monday, the audience will come first — before advertisers, politicians or corporate interests, including CBS owners Paramount Skydance.
“People don’t trust us like they used to,” he said in a video on the channel CBSnews.com and posted it on social networks.
“The press has missed too many stories,” he continued. “And it's not just us. It's all outdated media. Because we've taken into account the perspective of advocates, not the average American. Or we put too much emphasis on the analysis of scientists or elites, not you.”
The former “CBS Mornings” host said he believes “the most pressing questions are simply not being asked” by today's TV news journalists.
Despite his long career in news, the new anchor's statement Thursday was notable in that it seemed to agree with critics of the mainstream media, such as President Trump, by implying that journalists are not doing their jobs competently. In a statement, Dokoupil said he had spoken with people across the country who questioned the coverage of topics such as Hillary Clinton's emails or the president's fitness for office.
Dokoupil, who previously worked at MSNBC, The Daily Beast and Newsweek and joined CBS in 2016, may face a difficult task. When the new editor-in-chief appointed him to a position at the CBS Evening News Bari Weiss, Diversity's Brian Steinberg wrote“The job comes with a difficult mission. The program, associated with such legendary figures as Walter Cronkite, has been ranked third for many years behind ABC's 'World News Tonight' and NBC's 'NBC Nightly News.' Dokupil likely shares some of Weiss's views, such as her pro-Israel stance, Steinberg writes.
“I’m accountable for you,” Dokoupil promised, “and that means I’ll tell you what I know, when I know it and how I know it. And when I’m wrong, I’ll tell you that too.”
Dokoupil ended his statement by promising to stand up for the truth and ask viewers to hold him accountable: “It also means that I will talk to everyone and hold everyone in public life to the same standards. After all, I became a journalist to talk to people. I love talking to people about what works in this country and what doesn't, and not just about what should change, but about good ideas that should never change. I think telling the truth is one of them.”
“Keep me in it,” he concluded.
Check out his message below:
