CBS Anchor Tony Dokoupil Says ‘The Press Has Missed the Story’

Tony Dokoupil, who begins Monday as anchor of the “CBS Evening News,” spoke out on New Year’s Day about the place he thinks the press has gone unsuitable, and vowed that beginning Monday, the viewers would come first — ahead of advertisers, politicians or company pursuits including CBS house owners Paramount Skydance.

“People do not trust us like they used to,”he said in a video on CBSnews.com and posted to social media.

“On too many stories, the press has missed the story,” he continued, “And it’s not just us. It’s all of legacy media. 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.”

The former “CBS Mornings” host said he has felt that “the most urgent questions simply weren’t being asked” by current TV news journalists.

Despite his lengthy profession in the news, the incoming anchor’s assertion Thursday was notable in that it appeared to agree with critics of mainstream media such as President Trump, implying journalists aren’t doing their jobs competently. In the assertion, Dokoupil said he had talked to people round the nation who questioned coverage of matters like Hilary Clinton’s emails or the president’s fitness for workplace.

Dokoupil, who was beforehand at MSNBC, The Daily Beast and Newsweek and joined CBS in 2016, might have a challenge ahead of him. When he was named to the “CBS Evening News” submit by new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, Variety‘s Brian Steinberg wrote, “The job comes with a difficult mission attached. The program, which has ties to legendary personnel like Walter Cronkite, has been mired in third place behind ABC’s ‘World News Tonight’ and NBC’s ‘NBC Nightly News’ for years.” Dokoupil is probably going aligned with some of Weiss’ views, such as her pro-Israel stance, Steinberg wrote.

“I report for you,” Dokoupil promised, “which means I’ll tell you what I know, when I know it and how I know it. And when I get it wrong, I’ll tell you that too.”

Dokoupil completed his assertion by promising to uphold the reality asking viewers to carry him accountable, “It also means I’m going to speak to everybody, and maintain everybody in public life to the very same requirements. After all, I turned a journalist to speak to people. I really like speaking to people about what works in this nation, what doesn’t, and never only what ought to change, however the good concepts that ought to never change. I feel telling the reality is one in all them.

“Hold me to it,” he concluded.

Watch his message below: