Veteran CBS journalist Tony Dokoupil dared to question Ta-Nehisi Coates, whose books are jejune attacks on real and imagined white racism, about a chapter on Israel and the Palestinians in his just-published book The Message: “CBS News says heated Ta-Nehisi Coates interview did not meet editorial standards after criticism,” by Brian Stelter and Hadas Gold, CNN, October 7, 2024:
The gripping interview — intense by the often cozy standards of morning television — has since been viewed many millions of times on streaming websites. But for all the praise and attention the interview received, it also stirred dissent inside CBS News, according to several sources with knowledge of the matter.
Multiple correspondents and producers felt that Dokoupil betrayed bias toward Coates, and some suggested Dokoupil had a history of charged on-air comments about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Dokoupil has written publicly about converting to Judiasm [sic] and has said publicly that two of his children along with his ex-wife live in Israel.
Dokoupil may have family ties to Israel, but that does not disqualify him from asking questions of a guest whose claims about Israel and the Palestinians reveal a stunning ignorance. He was merely pointing out deficiencies in Coates’ knowledge, and giving Coates an opportunity to correct those lapses. Coates, maintaining an outward calm, even a kind of dumb affability, never did.
In wake of the criticism, CBS News and Stations president and CEO Wendy McMahon and her top deputy Adrienne Roark enlisted the network’s standards and practices unit to conduct a review of the discussion, according to sources familiar with the matter. The news division’s race and culture unit was involved as well.
Goodness, what an uproar over Dokoupil’s interview, solely because he was not willing to leave unchallenged the anti-Israel assertions of Ta-Nehisi Coates. And yes, McMahon even brought in the “race and culture unit” at CBS News to defend Mr. Coates’ right to be free of any probing questioning.
Management concluded that “the problem was Tony’s tone” in the interview, one of the sources said. McMahon and Roark didn’t say so on the Monday morning call, but they emphasized the importance of network standards and the need to have “courageous conversations.”…
Was Tony Dokoupil’s tone in questioning Ta-Nehisi Coates insufficiently obsequious? Were his questions a sign that he was not as impressed with Coates as he ought to have been? Was Dokoupil daring to suggest that Coates had left out important facts about Israel and the Palestinians? Yes, yes, and yes. And many staffers at CBS were upset that Dokoupil was not willing to remain silent in the face of such self-satisfied ignorance. The powers that be at CBS News — Ms. McMahon and Ms. Roark — demanded an apology from Tony Dokoupil. Apology made. But that is not the end of the matter. From now on, not just Tony Dokoupil, but others at CBS News will be careful not to arouse the anger of fellow staffers by being “soft” on Israel.
Thank heaven there were some senior staffers, including legal affairs correspondent Jan Crawford, who did not denounce, but defended Dokoupil for preventing a “one-sided account” — anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian — from being broadcast. McMahon and Roark will now have to take those employees’ views into account as well.
Now we have “left-wing anti-Israel” staffers at CBS News who raised a ruckus, and forced a pusillanimous management — Ms. McMahon and Ms. Roark — to limit the freedom of those who, like Tony Dokoupil, are only trying to present a balanced view of Israel and of those who would destroy it. The apology exacted from Dokoupil will no doubt have a chilling effect in the future both on Dokoupil himself, and on other staffers who might otherwise have tried to maintain a balanced coverage of the Middle East conflict. It’s been bad for journalistic freedom, and bad for the truth.
SC says
Legacy media bought and paid for by the fith that wishes to destroy the USA. What do you expect?
Pray Hard says
Just more proof that the media is the enemy.
George Gwin Jr says
CBS = communist broadcasting system.
Cynthia says
Freedom of speech has been threatened by the “woke” for quite some time. The lack of journalistic integrity is the precursor of democracy’s downfall. This is where shilling for the progressives by the major networks has landed the US.
gravenimage says
CBS Staffers Enraged As Tony Dokoupil’s Questioning of Ta-Nehisi Coates was Insufficiently Obsequious
……………………………………..
So much for journalism…
James Lincoln says
So, a mainstream news organization like CBS requires their propagandists to be “sufficiently obsequious”.
No difficult questions that challenge the prevailing mainstream narrative.
WPM says
Ta-Nehisi has stated in an interview in past that when 911 happen he watch it from a roof top of his apartment building in Brooklyn I believe. He stated he was in his words ” he was slightly stoned” that he felt nothing about the people who were killed in that attack. When asked about the bravery the firefighters ,police ,and EMTS who died trying to save people inside the Twin Towers ,he stated he did not see the emergency respond people as human because they where part of the racist system of America ,that the Jihad terrorist where justify in what they have done. Why he is held up as someone whose “wisdom” ,knowledge and morals thru his books should be taught and respected in public schools today in America. That shows how far left the education system has gone. Would the writing of Hitler or other true racist be held in esteem as good teaching tools in college campuses today.? You cannot question this America hating bigot who says that terrorist killing people men women children who only crime is being American going to work in a office ,or unarmed Jews living quietly in villages near the Gaza border .The only motive is the so called” victimizer” can rape women ,kill babies and kidnaped .people they have license to do this with no repercussions how dare America or Israel strike back against these actions. How dare a reporter question what motives I have for sucking up to terrorist, rapist ,murders ,kidnapers or giving excuse to this poor terrorist acts of violence against unarmed men women and children because in my eyes the Israelis near the Gaza border and Americans in the World Trade Center are not truly human ! Hitler would be very proud of this man ,one of Hitler and the Nazis tricks was to make the German people always the victims of their enemies and to paint their enemies as non-human .CBS is carrying water for this man ,by not allowing people they hired to question what he says .