(Fox News) CBS News is the latest news organization to face turmoil from its far-left wing of the newsroom after what was widely seen as a tough but civil interview led by “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil.
Dokoupil, who is Jewish and has children living in Israel, grilled “The Message” author Ta-Nehisi Coates, whose new book is critical of Israel.
“The content of that section would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist,” Dokoupil told Coates, asking him “why leave out so much” and “What is it that so particularly offends you about the existence of a Jewish state that is a Jewish safe place?”
What transpired was a spirited conversation between Dokoupil and Coates that, despite its intensity, never boiled over on-air. The same, however, cannot be said inside the network, according to various reports.
Author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates was grilled about his views on Israel’s right to exist by CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil, in an interview last week. (CBS/Screenshot)
CBS leadership reassured offended staff members that following a review, they concluded that the interview did not meet the company’s “editorial standards,” the Free Press reported, which obtained audio of the staff meeting.
While a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that Dokoupil would not be punished over the interview, he was forced to meet with the network’s in-house Race and Culture Unit following complaints. According to The New York Times, the conversation “focused on Mr. Dokoupil’s tone of voice, phrasing and body language” during the interview.
The New York Post also reported that Dokoupil expressed regret to staffers at a meeting, one network insider describing it, “There were tears. [People were] very upset.”
Some have rallied in his defense, like CBS News legal correspondent Jan Crawford, who went to bat for him during a network conference call, and Shari Redstone, chair of CBS News’ parent company Paramount Global, who called the network’s handling of Dokoupil a “mistake.” CBS CEO George Cheeks issued a memo standing by the news network’s leadership.
The ideological takeover of CBS newsroom appears to be in full swing. And it’s far from the only news outlet impacted by its far-left staffers.
“CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil was scolded by CBS leadership who say his interview with Coates violated its “editorial standards.” (Michele Crowe/CBS via Getty Images))
NBC’s hiring (and firing) of Ronna McDaniel
Earlier this year, NBC News was engulfed in scandal fueled by its own staffers after the network announced it had hired former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel as a contributor.
The practice of major news organizations hiring ex-lawmakers, government officials and political insiders has existed for decades and has largely been non-controversial, but a chorus of NBC talent, particularly from its staunchly liberal sister network MSNBC, publicly disavowed McDaniel’s hiring, citing her alleged actions in trying to block the certification of Michigan’s election results in 2020.
“We weren’t asked our opinion of the hiring, but if we were, we would have strongly objected to it for several reasons including, but not limited to, as lawyers might say, Miss McDaniel’s role in Donald Trump’s fake elector scheme and her pressuring election officials to not certify election results while Donald Trump was on the phone,” Joe Scarborough said on “Morning Joe.”
“To be clear, we believe NBC News should seek out conservative Republican voices to provide balance in their election coverage,” co-host Mika Brzezinski followed. “But it should be conservative Republicans, not a person who used her position of power to be an anti-democracy election denier. And we hope NBC will reconsider its decision. It goes without saying that she will not be a guest on ‘Morning Joe’ in her capacity as a paid contributor.”
