"Newsroom culture clash" at CBS News

[michael hagerty]

And the hits just keep on comin'. Essential pull-quote:

Dokoupil, as you probably know, is the new anchor of CBS Evening News. He was appointed in December by Bari Weiss, the editor-in-chief of the network’s news division. Weiss was herself recently hired by CBS’s new owner, David Ellison, the son of the MAGA-friendly billionaire Larry Ellison. If that seems like a lot of names to take in at once, all you have to remember is this:

The scion of a superbillionaire family bought CBS in August, and he hired a conservative former New York Times opinion writer with no TV experience to remake the news division, and she gave Dokoupil, a cohost of CBS Mornings best known for accosting Ta-Nehisi Coates over Israel, the anchor’s job. This is his third week in the role. Against all odds, it’s going even worse than you’d expect.

It’s going horrendously. I don’t mean there have been a few minor speed bumps; I mean the bus is pancaked, Wile E. Coyote–style, against the side of the mountain. Ratings have nosedived. The broadcasts have been beset by basic technical errors. Dokoupil has been pilloried on both the left and the right, to the point that he seems to have broken several of his critics’ brains in fascinating new ways:

Megyn Kelly, whose brain wasn’t exactly running smoothly to begin with, blamed Weiss’s sexual orientation for convincing her to hire the “soft” Dokoupil. (“This is a lesbian’s idea,” she sneered, “of what women want.”).

A new exposé about the chaos inside CBS News seems to drop every day, stuffed with juicy quotes from staffers furious about Weiss’s leadership. (They’re also stuffed with bizarre details: According to a scorched-earth New York Times piece last week, one of the lieutenants Weiss brought with her to CBS is Sascha Seinfeld, whose main qualification seems to be that she’s Jerry Seinfeld’s daughter.)

The Five Farcical Principles of the ‘CBS Evening News’

Tony Dokoupil and Bari Weiss’s new broadcast has been one debacle after another. Let's try to make sense of it all, with or without whiskey.

www.theringer.com

 

[michael hagerty]

And as the last paragraph of the pull-quote in the post above said.."A new expose' about the chaos inside CBS News seems to drop every day."

Here's the latest. Essential pull-quote:

It's the 6:30 P.M. ET broadcasting block on Wednesday, and Tony Dokoupil, the shiny new host of “CBS Evening News,” is explaining away the killing of three journalists in Gaza even as a ceasefire deal apparently remains in place.

That does not seem to matter much to Dokoupil, who before landing this plush gig at Bari Weiss’s CBS News was best known for hassling the writer Ta-Nehisi Coates for his “extremist” belief that apartheid is morally wrong.

Dokoupil opens the news read already at a distance: “Turning to one of the deadliest days in Gaza since October’s ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, an Israeli airstrike today killed three journalists.”

He continues by accepting, without skepticism, Israel’s framing of what should be a clear violation of the terms of the ceasefire: “Israel said it was targeting a group operating a drone affiliated with Hamas,” Dokoupil says. “One of those journalists, Abed Shaat, has worked for CBS as a photographer. His colleagues described the 30-year-old as a brave person doing dangerous work. He was married just two weeks ago.”

It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it sleight of hand that tells you exactly where the priorities of the news regime at CBS lie. First, there’s the tone, which exudes calmness about the fact that a co-worker has been killed doing his job. Dokoupil states that Shaat died in an Israeli airstrike targeting “a group operating a drone affiliated with Hamas,” the implication being that Shaat was either working with Hamas or was a little too cozy with Hamas, a means of justifying his killing.
Finally, Dokoupil uses the distancing language of “[Shaat’s] colleagues” – making clear that the host of “CBS Evening News” is certainly not among them.

“CBS Evening News” With Tony Dokoupil Is a Right-Wing Show for Absolutely No One

I watched the first two weeks of Bari Weiss’s attempt to reshape evening news. I’m left wondering who it’s even for.

theintercept.com

 

[michael hagerty]

And then there's this (Ben covers media for the New York Times):

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

And as the last paragraph of the pull-quote in the post above said.."A new expose' about the chaos inside CBS News seems to drop every day."

Here's the latest. Essential pull-quote:

“CBS Evening News” With Tony Dokoupil Is a Right-Wing Show for Absolutely No One

I watched the first two weeks of Bari Weiss’s attempt to reshape evening news. I’m left wondering who it’s even for.

theintercept.com

Then again Tony Dokoupil has to be that way or get removed by Bari Weiss and David Ellison.

 

[Mark Roberts]

And the hits just keep on comin'. Essential pull-quote {partial, due to the behavior of the board's software when quoting a quote}

The scion of a superbillionaire family bought CBS in August, and he hired a conservative former New York Times opinion writer with no TV experience to remake the news division, and she gave Dokoupil, a cohost of CBS Mornings best known for accosting Ta-Nehisi Coates over Israel, the anchor’s job. This is his third week in the role. Against all odds, it’s going even worse than you’d expect.

It’s going horrendously. I don’t mean there have been a few minor speed bumps; I mean the bus is pancaked, Wile E. Coyote–style, against the side of the mountain. Ratings have nosedived. The broadcasts have been beset by basic technical errors. Dokoupil has been pilloried on both the left and the right, to the point that he seems to have broken several of his critics’ brains in fascinating new ways:

While I agree with the criticism, I have the feeling that Weiss and her crowd view this and other critiques as validation. Those lefties are all ganging up on her because, by gosh and by golly, she's trying to set sail for the true path of ... um, whatever. Remember that she's not there because of her experience in television journalism. She's there because she washed out of mainstream outlets and repositioned herself as an outsider seeking to unmask the mainstream media for what she perceives to be their true agenda. She has already rejected the tenets of modern journalism, thus appealing to a super-rich patron who seems to just want to make sure he never has to pay taxes again, thus cuddling up to politicians who offer just that. So criticism based upon basic journalistic tenets is bound to be considered affirmation.

And then there's this (Ben covers media for the New York Times):

View attachment 11297

"Bari Weiss will hold an all-hands meeting to discuss the future of CBS News tomorrow...." What future?

And as the last paragraph of the pull-quote in the post above said.."A new expose' about the chaos inside CBS News seems to drop every day."
...

Which I quote to answer the question in the subhead to the piece: "I watched the first two weeks of Bari Weiss's attempt to reshape evening news. I'm left wondering who it's even for." Answer: David Ellison. And maybe Larry. No one else.

 

[TheBigA]

Which I quote to answer the question in the subhead to the piece: "I watched the first two weeks of Bari Weiss's attempt to reshape evening news. I'm left wondering who it's even for." Answer: David Ellison. And maybe Larry. No one else.

I think they're leaving her out there to either make a difference or get fired. One or the other. Make the Evening News #1, or they find somebody else.

 

[Mark Roberts]

I think they're leaving her out there to either make a difference or get fired. One or the other. Make the Evening News #1, or they find somebody else.

My own opinion is that they don't care about being #1 or #3 or #8 behind the Cantonese evening news on KTSF in San Francisco. It's like the Voice of America, except for a domestic audience, and minus the ethical standards that the Voice of America used to uphold.

I won't discount the possibility, though, that she might take a fall sooner than later.

 

[KilowattKat]

I think they're leaving her out there to either make a difference or get fired. One or the other. Make the Evening News #1, or they find somebody else.

If it's to make the CBS Evening News #1, then she'll probably be out of a job soon. Still, way behind in 3rd place...

TV Ratings: ‘CBS Evening News’ Edges Up in Tony Dokoupil’s Second Week, ’60 Minutes’ Takes Big Hit

A previously shelved ‘60 Minutes’ story was given a spot on the Jan. 18 telecast opposite an NFL playoff game on NBC.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[TheBigA]

I won't discount the possibility, though, that she might take a fall sooner than later.

All the articles I've read in this thread make me think there are a lot of things about her they don't like. That has to have an impact.

If all they want is an ideologue there are a lot of easier people to hire.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

While I agree with the criticism, I have the feeling that Weiss and her crowd view this and other critiques as validation. Those lefties are all ganging up on her because, by gosh and by golly, she's trying to set sail for the true path of ... um, whatever. Remember that she's not there because of her experience in television journalism. She's there because she washed out of mainstream outlets and repositioned herself as an outsider seeking to unmask the mainstream media for what she perceives to be their true agenda. She has already rejected the tenets of modern journalism, thus appealing to a super-rich patron who seems to just want to make sure he never has to pay taxes again, thus cuddling up to politicians who offer just that. So criticism based upon basic journalistic tenets is bound to be considered affirmation.


"Bari Weiss will hold an all-hands meeting to discuss the future of CBS News tomorrow...." What future?

Which I quote to answer the question in the subhead to the piece: "I watched the first two weeks of Bari Weiss's attempt to reshape evening news. I'm left wondering who it's even for." Answer: David Ellison. And maybe Larry. No one else.

True consider the other part of this is about David Ellison wanting Bari Weiss to be President of CBS News. We look at her as if shes the President of CBS News even though shes the Chief Editor of the operation.

 

[TheRob]

More paid commentators, less staff:

https://www.npr.org/2026/01/27/nx-s1-5689849/after-rocky-start-bari-weiss-to-cut-staff-add-commentators-at-cbs-news

 

[michael hagerty]

More paid commentators, less staff:

https://www.npr.org/2026/01/27/nx-s1-5689849/after-rocky-start-bari-weiss-to-cut-staff-add-commentators-at-cbs-news

And Axios has specifics. Pull-quote:

The new list of contributors includes mostly podcasters and independent writers who will now have access to a large audience across CBS News' platforms, including television.

• Some of those personalities are existing columnists and contributors for The Free Press, including conservative historian Niall Ferguson and Patrick McGee, who covers the tech industry and China.

And another pull-quote, for the folks who don't actually click the link and read:

• Dr. Mark Hyman, another new CBS News contributor, is closely aligned with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the MAHA movement.

https://archive.ph/VAXFR#selection-717.0-725.86

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Mediaite One Sheet: CBS Civil War, FCC vs Talk Shows, CNN Profits Crater

Today, we launch our brand new newsletter of media newsletters, which we are providing today as a free preview, featuring Bari Weiss, Minneapolis, and Davos.

www.mediaite.com

Here's more on why we only hear about Bari Weiss role at CBS News and not the factors surrounding why CBS News President Tom Cibrowski has not spoken up or do anything to de escalate the drama at the news division.

Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil told White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt “Yeah, we’re doing it” after she threatened to sue over edits to a Trump interview, with CBS president Tom Cibrowski standing silently by.

 

[tall_guy1]

And Axios has specifics. Pull-quote:




And another pull-quote, for the folks who don't actually click the link and read:

https://archive.ph/VAXFR#selection-717.0-725.86

Sort of depressing to add commentators and from the looks of those somewhat provocative commentators.

 

[Mark Roberts]

More paid commentators, less staff:

https://www.npr.org/2026/01/27/nx-s1-5689849/after-rocky-start-bari-weiss-to-cut-staff-add-commentators-at-cbs-news

It's kind of a throwback to network radio of the late-1940s/early 1950s, where commentators were featured with prominent time slots, becoming celebrities of a sort. Now, it's a recognition that opinion without reporting or research is cheaper than actual journalism.

And Axios has specifics.

A good example comes when you click through to the Vox article on podcaster Andrew Huberman, who focuses on science. The Vox article suggests that Huberman is good at saying things that sound reasonable, but that don't stand up to additional scrutiny. The insidious part about this: most people don't listen critically and aren't likely to dig further to see if what Huberman has told them is truly factual.

Here's one instance:

“He’s a good communicator, right? That’s why he’s a star,” Tim Caulfield, a professor of health law and science policy at the University of Alberta, told me {A.W. Olheiser, the author of the Vox piece} in late 2023. Huberman often does a “very good job” talking about the science behind a topic he’s exploring in an episode, Caulfield added, but “in the end, the overall takeaway, I think, is less supported by the science than the impression you’re given listening to the episode.”

Instead of recommending a flu shot, Huberman introduces his listeners to a series of other ideas. Andrea Love, a microbiologist, immunologist, and science communicator herself, wrote a four-part newsletter series addressing Huberman’s claims in greater detail. She says he promoted possibly using a sauna to improve immune function, citing a study that had just 20 participants and did not directly measure immune function. She says he promoted the potential use of unproven supplements, including those sold by AG1, a company that partners with Huberman and sponsors his podcast. Huberman and his spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Love’s characterization of this episode.

Link: https://archive.ph/77Laf

With this type of programming, CBS may be abdicating from verification and editing, leaving the viewer/listener/reader entirely on their own to figure out what's factual and what's not. Given the state of media literacy among many people, this should be frightening.

 

[TheBigA]

CBS may be abdicating from verification and editing, leaving the viewer/listener/reader on their own to figure out what's factual and what's not.

Maybe. A lot of it is up to the commentator. Everybody has a 1st amendment right. Viewers have their opinions. There's no doubt about that. The other way around puts the broadcasters in the position of imposing their opinions on the viewers, and that's where we get all this hostility about the media. Even when the media is right.

Daniel Moynahan once said you have a right to your own opinion, but not to your own facts. Today people believe they have a right to their own facts, and get hostile when someone tells them they're wrong. We see it every day.

 

[TheBigA]

Bari Weiss says CBS News is not producing a product that people want:

Bari Weiss: CBS News Not 'Producing a Product That Enough People Want'

"We can blame demographics, or technology, or fractured attention spans, or ‘news avoidance,’ but these are all copes."

barrettmedia.com

Instead of "all the news that's fit to print," her view is "give the people what they want. Very different view, thus the culture clash.

Reporters at the Washington Post got a similar lecture two years ago:

“Let’s Not Sugarcoat it … People are Not Reading Your Stuff:” Publisher Drops Truth Bomb at Post

Washington Post publisher and CEO William Lewis is being denounced this week after the end of the short-lived tenure of Executive Editor Sally Buzbee and delivering a truth bomb to the staff. Lewis…

jonathanturley.org

It all sounds similar to what we've been hearing in radio for the last ten years. When people have choices, they will take them.

 

[tall_guy1]

Bari Weiss says CBS News is not producing a product that people want:

Bari Weiss: CBS News Not 'Producing a Product That Enough People Want'

"We can blame demographics, or technology, or fractured attention spans, or ‘news avoidance,’ but these are all copes."

barrettmedia.com

Instead of "all the news that's fit to print," her view is "give the people what they want. Very different view, thus the culture clash.

Reporters at the Washington Post got a similar lecture two years ago:

“Let’s Not Sugarcoat it … People are Not Reading Your Stuff:” Publisher Drops Truth Bomb at Post

Washington Post publisher and CEO William Lewis is being denounced this week after the end of the short-lived tenure of Executive Editor Sally Buzbee and delivering a truth bomb to the staff. Lewis…

jonathanturley.org

It all sounds similar to what we've been hearing in radio for the last ten years. When people have choices, they will take them.

What do you propose they do?

 

[TheBigA]

What do you propose they do?

It's sort of up to them, doncha think? Staffers have to decide if they stay or leave.

They're in 3rd place. Is she right or wrong?

 

[tall_guy1]

It's sort of up to them, doncha think? Staffers have to decide if they stay or leave.

They're in 3rd place. Is she right or wrong?

Yes, it is up to her. I've watched Tony Dokoupil and he hasn't been as bad as people make him out to be. Last night, he challenged the administration's take on the weekend ICE shooting in Minneapolis, so its good they distance themselves in some regards (unlike Fox which is completely spinning that story in an inflammatory way.)