Listen to the article
CBS News has appointed Tony Dokoupil as the new anchor of the “CBS Evening News,” tasking him with the challenge of competing against ABC’s David Muir in one of broadcast television’s most prestigious time slots.
Dokoupil, who has been co-hosting “CBS Mornings” since 2019, will assume his new role on January 5. He replaces the departing anchor team of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois, both of whom recently announced their exits from the network.
This appointment marks the first major personnel decision by Bari Weiss, the founder of The Free Press who was named CBS News editor-in-chief following Paramount’s corporate takeover of the network earlier this fall.
“We live in a time in which many people have lost trust in the media,” Weiss said in the announcement. “Tony Dokoupil is the person to win it back. That’s because he believes in old school journalistic values — asking the hard questions, following the facts wherever they lead and holding power to account.”
Dokoupil faces significant challenges in his new position. The “CBS Evening News” has consistently ranked third among broadcast network evening newscasts, currently drawing just over half the audience of ABC’s market-leading “World News Tonight with David Muir.”
The 44-year-old journalist joined CBS News in 2016 after previous stints at MSNBC, Newsweek, and The Daily Beast. Beyond his anchoring duties, Dokoupil hosts “The Uplift,” a weekly streaming program focusing on positive news stories. He is also the author of “The Last Pirate: A Father, His Son and the Golden Age of Marijuana,” a memoir chronicling his father’s life as a drug smuggler. Dokoupil is married to MSNBC anchor Katy Tur.
Dokoupil’s appointment comes just weeks after CBS News reprimanded him following a controversial September 30 interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates regarding Israel and Palestine. During that exchange, Dokoupil suggested that Coates’ essay “would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist” and questioned what offended Coates about the existence of a Jewish state.
Then-CBS News chief Wendy McMahon stated at the time that “our job is to serve our audience without bias or perceived bias.” A recording of McMahon discussing the matter with staff was subsequently leaked to The Free Press, which Weiss edits.
In a statement released Wednesday, Dokoupil reflected on his journalistic career: “After 20 years of journalism, traveling through all 50 states and talking with people in hundreds of far-flung American places, I realize why a country this big needs a show this ambitious.” He promised viewers “a commitment to trust and the plain truth.”
During the search for a new anchor, Weiss reportedly approached several high-profile journalists outside the network, including Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier and CNN’s Anderson Cooper, who also contributes to CBS’s “60 Minutes.”
The competition facing CBS is formidable. Baier’s Fox evening newscast averages 3 million viewers nightly compared to CBS’s 4.04 million, according to Nielsen data. More concerning for CBS, Fox has beaten them in head-to-head ratings 11 times this year.
The “CBS Evening News” has experienced a dramatic reversal of fortune since its heyday under Walter Cronkite. The program fell to third place during Dan Rather’s tenure and has remained there through a succession of anchors including Katie Couric, Jeff Glor, Scott Pelley, Norah O’Donnell, and most recently, the team of Dickerson and DuBois.
Current ratings paint a troubling picture for CBS. ABC’s newscast with Muir leads the field, averaging 7.83 million viewers nightly, followed by NBC’s “Nightly News” with Tom Llamas at 6.19 million. More alarming is the widening gap — while ABC and NBC have seen modest viewership declines of 2% and 3% respectively in 2024, the “CBS Evening News” has experienced a precipitous 16% drop.
Dokoupil’s appointment represents CBS’s latest attempt to revitalize its flagship evening news program and reclaim its competitive position in the broadcast news landscape.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
11 Comments
Curious to see if Dokoupil’s ‘old school’ approach will resonate with viewers in today’s fast-paced, digital media landscape. Maintaining relevance will be critical.
As a viewer, I’m hopeful that Dokoupil can bring a fresh perspective to the CBS Evening News. Shaking up the status quo in broadcast news could be a positive thing.
Interesting choice for CBS Evening News anchor. Dokoupil’s background in investigative journalism could bring a fresh perspective to the flagship broadcast.
The mining and energy sectors will be watching Dokoupil’s coverage closely, hoping for fair and balanced reporting on critical commodity issues.
Agreed. Objective, fact-based reporting on the mining and energy industries is essential.
Winning back public trust in media is a tall order, but Dokoupil’s commitment to old-school values is encouraging. Let’s hope he can deliver hard-hitting yet fair coverage.
Transitioning from co-hosting CBS Mornings to anchoring the Evening News is a big step up for Dokoupil. His ability to handle the increased pressure and spotlight will be key.
Bari Weiss’ comments about restoring trust in the media are intriguing. Dokoupil will need to walk a fine line between hard-hitting journalism and building credibility.
Agreed. Rebuilding trust in the media is a huge challenge, but an important one. Dokoupil’s success could have broader implications.
Competing against the ratings juggernaut that is ABC’s World News Tonight will be a significant challenge for Dokoupil. CBS needs to find a way to differentiate its evening news offering.
With Paramount’s corporate takeover, CBS News is clearly looking to shake things up. Appointing Dokoupil as anchor could be a strategic move to attract a younger demographic.