Forward of Tony Dokoupil’s first night time anchoring the CBS Night Information on Monday, CBS launched a video of Dokoupil making guarantees to the viewers about how he’ll serve them. He’s admitting the networks have a belief drawback, acknowledging he has heard individuals lament protection of sure tales, equivalent to Russiagate, Hunter Biden’s laptop computer and COVID lockdowns.
“The purpose is that, on too many tales, the press has missed the story,” Dokoupil mentioned. “As a result of we have taken into consideration the angle of advocates and never the typical American. Or we put an excessive amount of weight within the evaluation of teachers or elites and never sufficient on you.”
Dokoupil insisted he’s been one of many “common Individuals” on this, that the information didn’t mirror his life expertise.
“On too many tales, the press has missed the story. As a result of we have taken into consideration the angle of advocates and never the typical American. Or we put an excessive amount of weight within the evaluation of teachers or elites, and never sufficient on you.”
That modifications now. The brand new CBS Night Information… pic.twitter.com/NKdvRJjYCS
— CBS Night Information (@CBSEveningNews) January 1, 2026
There have been some huge guarantees made:
“You come first, not advertisers, not politicians, not company pursuits. And sure, that does embody the company homeowners of CBS….I report for you, which implies I let you know what I do know, after I understand it and the way I do know it. And after I get it improper, I will let you know that too. It additionally means I will speak to everyone and maintain everybody in public life to the exact same normal. In any case, I turned a journalist to speak to individuals. I like speaking to individuals about what works on this nation, what would not, and never solely what ought to change, however the good concepts that ought to by no means change. I believe telling the reality is one in all them,” Dokoupil mentioned. “I am Tony Dokoupil, the anchor of the CBS Night Information. Maintain me to it.”
It could be uncommon for a community anchor to confess they have been inaccurate on something. It could be even rarer to “maintain everybody in public life to the exact same normal.” The Left can not abide that. It could imply holding the Democrats as accountable as Trump, and he might begin with their Hitler smears.
Professor Larry Sabato took to X to X-emplify the elitist leftist fury at these guarantees from Crew Bari Weiss:
Completely! You would not need “teachers and elites” who’ve truly studied a topic to outweigh the off-the-cuff opinions of village idiots. That is how we’re seeing the resurgence of measles, and the widespread perception in nearly non-existent vote fraud, amongst many different nice leaps backward within the Trump period. Cronkite can be so very happy with you.
A rebuttal got here from radio host Hugh Hewitt:
Good for Tony Dokoupil. The assertion is greater than two minutes lengthy however these three sentences totaling 32 phrases makes for a succinct mission assertion in addition to a regular on which judgments about his promise might be made going ahead.
The outdated saying —belief is gained in ounces and misplaced in kilos— has utilized to legacy media for years now, and the consequence is legacy media’s shattered repute for truth-telling (a lot much less for candid admissions of error), and the viewers numbers present it….
if Tony delivers the precise information —true and objectively informed tales constructed on information, unbiased in presentation and never delivered in service of an agenda— he may also help rebuild the model of 1 legacy program, one which might develop into essential once more. I imagine good of us of the left and the proper and people smack within the heart have a pure starvation for actual “information.” Dokoupol’s pledge is a begin. Preserving it’s the onerous half.
