Under the direction of Bari Weiss, CBS’s newly relaunched weeknight newscast is waving the Star-Spangled Banner, but it’s not apologizing for its pro-American editorial stance.
On Friday, the program released a statement outlining “five simple principles” that will inform the presentation of news under anchor Tony Dokoupil, who previously served as morning newscaster at CBS. What was once a “38-page handbook” is now “5 Simple Values,” according to CBS News.
Mr. Dokoupil was named anchor chairman of the CBS Evening News last month by Mr. Weiss, the editor-in-chief of CBS News and founder of the Free Press. Free Press describes itself as “a new media company built on the ideals that were once the bedrock of American journalism.” Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison acquired the Free Press in a reported $150 million deal and appointed Weiss to oversee editorial operations at CBS News, saying the move was aimed at restoring viewer trust in the station.
“As we launch the new ‘CBS Evening News’ on Monday, we are committed to following these five simple principles, from our first show on the road to our first broadcast on our new set in New York and everything after,” the show said in a series of social media posts.
One of the principles outlined by “CBS Evening News” is: “We love America, and we make no apologies for saying that. Our core values of freedom, equality, and the rule of law make us the last best hope on earth.” The news program said, “We aim to do our part every night. One way to think about our program is as a daily conversation about where exactly we are as a nation and where we are going.”
The unusual pro-American pledge by a journalism broadcaster is likely to add to speculation that Ellison put Weiss in charge of CBS News to increase his appeal to MAGA supporters in general and President Trump in particular. After President Trump recently complained that 60 Minutes wasn’t treating him fairly (by broadcasting an interview with Marjorie Taylor Greene), Weiss pulled a 60 Minutes segment criticizing the administration’s brutal deportation of immigrants to El Salvador’s prisons, arguing that the show needed more reporting representing the White House’s perspective.
On Thursday, January 1, Dokoupil shared his thoughts on the current state of American journalism ahead of his appointment as the anchor of “CBS Evening News.”
“People don’t trust us like they used to,” Dokoupil said in a video shared on CBSNews.com. He added, “For too many stories, news organizations miss this story. And we’re not alone. It’s all legacy media, because we take into account the perspective of advocates, not the average American. Or we focus too much on the analysis of academics and elites, and not enough on you.”
Here are the “five simple principles” that CBS Evening News, with Dokoupil as its anchor, is guided by:
we are working for you. So you come first. Not our advertisers. I’m not a politician. It is not in the interests of corporations, including the corporate owners of CBS News. We report on the world as it is. We will respond honestly and directly. That means no weasel-like words or padded landings. We’ll let you know what we know when we know. Please update your report as new facts come to light. And we admit when we’re wrong. we respect you We believe our fellow Americans are smart and insightful. Our job is to present you with the full picture and the strongest voices from all sides of the issue. We trust you to make your own decisions and to make the decisions that are best for you, your family, and your community. we love america And we make no apologies for saying that. Our core values of freedom, equality and the rule of law make us the last best hope on earth. We also believe in Franklin’s famous line about America as a republic – if we can keep it that way. We aim to do our part every night. One way to think about our show is as an everyday conversation about where we are as a country and where we’re going. We respect tradition, but we also believe in the future. We employ tools that can get you where you are. Some of you may watch this program on terrestrial television. More people will watch it on social media. What we can guarantee is that tools will continue to change, but some things will remain the same. One of them is honest journalism.
“CBS Evening News” starring Tony Dokoupil will premiere on Monday, Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
