CBS Evening News Anchor Tony Dokoupil Has Become the Story, Not the News
In his fifth night on the job, anchor Tony Dokoupil struggled to find a unifying moment of clarity during a report from Minneapolis in the aftermath of an ICE agent shooting. His words were laced with vague concepts like "mutual respect" and "decency," but lacked real substance.
Dokoupil's attempts to position himself as more than just an anchor have been cringeworthy, including a bizarre publicity blitz that preceded his launch. He seems to believe he is the main character of the news, rather than a journalist tasked with delivering the facts.
His grandiosity has been on full display, from releasing videos declaring "Things change — that's the news" to opening presents like a child on-air. This is not the dignity expected of someone in a 6:30 p.m. anchor role.
Dokoupil's understanding of where the line between news and opinion broadcasting lies is also murky. His attempts at humor have fallen flat, such as when he declared Marco Rubio had an "impressive résumé" without realizing it was not something that should be acknowledged on air.
Furthermore, Dokoupil has made his personal story a central part of the broadcast, including breaking down in tears and declaring how exhausted he is. This is unbecoming and seems to be driven by a desire for viral content rather than a genuine interest in reporting the news.
There's precedent for this approach, as seen in Katie Couric's failed attempt 20 years ago to infuse her personality into the Evening News anchor role. However, Dokoupil's approach has been grander and more cringeworthy, blurring the line between journalism and self-promotion.
Ultimately, it seems that Dokoupil is more concerned with keeping his name in headlines than delivering genuine news. This approach may be enough for him and CBS' leadership, but it's an unappealing display of vanity that undermines the very principles of good journalism.
In his fifth night on the job, anchor Tony Dokoupil struggled to find a unifying moment of clarity during a report from Minneapolis in the aftermath of an ICE agent shooting. His words were laced with vague concepts like "mutual respect" and "decency," but lacked real substance.
Dokoupil's attempts to position himself as more than just an anchor have been cringeworthy, including a bizarre publicity blitz that preceded his launch. He seems to believe he is the main character of the news, rather than a journalist tasked with delivering the facts.
His grandiosity has been on full display, from releasing videos declaring "Things change — that's the news" to opening presents like a child on-air. This is not the dignity expected of someone in a 6:30 p.m. anchor role.
Dokoupil's understanding of where the line between news and opinion broadcasting lies is also murky. His attempts at humor have fallen flat, such as when he declared Marco Rubio had an "impressive résumé" without realizing it was not something that should be acknowledged on air.
Furthermore, Dokoupil has made his personal story a central part of the broadcast, including breaking down in tears and declaring how exhausted he is. This is unbecoming and seems to be driven by a desire for viral content rather than a genuine interest in reporting the news.
There's precedent for this approach, as seen in Katie Couric's failed attempt 20 years ago to infuse her personality into the Evening News anchor role. However, Dokoupil's approach has been grander and more cringeworthy, blurring the line between journalism and self-promotion.
Ultimately, it seems that Dokoupil is more concerned with keeping his name in headlines than delivering genuine news. This approach may be enough for him and CBS' leadership, but it's an unappealing display of vanity that undermines the very principles of good journalism.
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! Tony Dokoupil think he the star of the show? News anchors supposed to bring you facts not their own personal brand 
. It's about the story, not the anchor. I mean, what if Marco Rubio's résumé actually a issue for the news? Should we care about his "impressive" life choices on air? 
Let's keep it factual and leave the personality stuff for social media 
. And no more crying on live TV! 
Anchor role not about your feelings, Tony 
. CBS got another thing coming if they think this is what news looks like... 
. It feels like he's more worried about being a social media influencer than a respected news anchor 
.
. What message are they sending to their audience? That news is more about the anchor's personal feelings than actual reporting? 
It's like we're watching a reality show instead of a serious news broadcast 
.
. I mean, come on Tony, you can do better than that 
.
I think what's going on with Tony Dokoupil is that he's trying way too hard to make a name for himself 
Why do you need to break down in tears on air? 
That's just not what we tune into the news for. And the videos declaring "Things change — that's the news" ? 
". Tony Dokoupil's attempts to make a big impact are just words on paper – if he truly wants to be taken seriously as a journalist, his actions need to back it up 
. He needs to focus on delivering the facts and letting the news speak for itself, rather than trying to shoehorn himself into every report 
He wants to be more than just the guy reading from a teleprompter, and honestly, it comes across as forced 
It's just not that impressive, dude 
. I guess it's like when I used to watch old VHS tapes and got so caught up in the nostalgia... but sometimes, it's better to just appreciate things for what they are, rather than trying to relive them 
.
, and it's like he's trying too hard to be relatable 
instead of just reporting the facts 
not making everything about themselves 
200 yrs ago reporters used to do just that 
nowadays seems like more people care about viral content than actual journalism 
, but news isn't about sharing laughs with politicians, it's about keeping it serious and factual.
. And what's up with releasing videos like "Things change — that's the news"