An eventful first week in his job for CBS News’ Tony Dokoupil, maybe not as intended

Tony Dokoupil’s Bold First Week as “CBS Evening News” Anchor Draws Mixed Reactions

No one can say Tony Dokoupil is slipping into his new job as “CBS Evening News” anchor unnoticed.

In just his first week, the 45-year-old broadcaster has issued what amounts to a manifesto for his tenure, made controversial comments about legendary predecessor Walter Cronkite, conducted a lengthy interview with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and posted an awkward video of people mispronouncing his name.

If attention is currency in reviving a television institution that has fallen on hard times, Dokoupil has certainly earned some. Whether it’s the kind of attention that will help CBS remains uncertain.

Dokoupil, who has hosted “CBS Mornings” since 2019, stepped into the prestigious role once occupied by broadcasting giants including Cronkite, Dan Rather, Katie Couric, Scott Pelley, and most recently Norah O’Donnell. His official start came earlier than planned when U.S. military action in Venezuela prompted him to take the anchor chair on Saturday, rather than Monday as originally scheduled.

The challenge facing Dokoupil is formidable. CBS’s evening newscast has long been entrenched in third place among the major networks. During Cronkite’s final full year in 1980, the broadcast drew between 27-29 million viewers nightly. Last year, Dokoupil’s predecessor attracted just 4.04 million viewers per evening—roughly half the audience of ABC’s David Muir, who leads the evening news race.

In video and written messages posted last week, Dokoupil outlined his vision for the broadcast, focusing heavily on rebuilding viewer trust.

“On too many stories, the press missed the story,” he stated. “Because we’ve taken into account the perspective of advocates, and not the average American, or we put too much weight in the analysis of academics or elites, and not enough on you.”

Dokoupil emphasized his commitment to viewers: “You come first. Not advertisers. Not politicians. Not corporate interests. And, yes, that does include the corporate owners of CBS. I report for you.”

The new anchor also outlined five “simple values” for his broadcast. While four were relatively uncontroversial—”we work for you,” “we report on the world as it is,” “we respect you,” and “we respect tradition, but we also believe in the future”—the fifth value, “We love America,” sparked significant online commentary.

Critics questioned whether this reflected an ideological shift under CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, the former New York Times opinion editor who founded The Free Press. The Daily Beast went so far as to describe Dokoupil as CBS’s “MAGA-coded anchor.”

Press critic Margaret Sullivan noted in her Substack column that patriotism in journalism shouldn’t require “American flag pins on lapels,” “jingoistic headlines,” or “fawning interviews of people in powerful positions.”

Dokoupil’s debut broadcast featured an unusually lengthy interview with Defense Secretary Hegseth, who remained on-air through two commercial breaks. This format choice—dedicating half the broadcast to a single official on a busy news day—raised eyebrows among media observers who felt the anchor could have pressed the secretary harder on key issues.

Columbia University journalism professor Bill Grueskin criticized Dokoupil’s characterization of the newscast as a “daily conversation” about America’s direction, writing on X: “News is not a ‘daily conversation.’ News is news. If you want a daily conversation, go to your local coffee shop.”

Perhaps most controversial was Dokoupil’s response to a viewer who commented, “I grew up on Cronkite. Too bad CBS has lost its Tiffany shine.” The new anchor replied: “I can promise you that we’ll be more accountable and more transparent than Cronkite or anyone else of that era.”

The remark angered admirers of Cronkite, once dubbed “the most trusted man in America.” Tom Bettag, a University of Maryland journalism professor who produced for Cronkite, called the comment “self-serving.” Some observers noted that the comment might appeal to conservatives who have long viewed Cronkite as a symbol of perceived liberal media bias.

Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the conservative Media Research Center, sees promise in Dokoupil’s approach, believing he may hold politicians from both parties accountable. However, former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer dismissed the rollout as a marketing ploy to distance Dokoupil from his years alongside Gayle King on “CBS Mornings.”

Despite the rocky start, Bettag urged patience: “I definitely think it’s way too early to make a judgment on how he’s going to be and I wish him all the luck in the world. CBS needs him to succeed. It was a lousy start and some missed opportunities, but that should not be the final judgment.”