The highly anticipated debut of the new CBS Evening News anchor, Tony Dokoupil, was marred by an embarrassing technical failure during his first regular broadcast on Monday. The incident, which saw on-screen images fail to match his teleprompter script, quickly went viral, drawing sharp criticism from media figures and viewers alike.
A Flustered Start for a New Era
Dokoupil, the first major hire by the network's new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, was attempting to pivot from a report on Donald Trump's actions in Venezuela to other news when the problems began. As images of Arizona Senator Mark Kelly appeared, contrary to his script's mention of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the anchor became visibly disoriented.
"Uh, to Governor Walz... No, we're gonna do Mark Kelly," he stammered, before admitting to the audience, "First day, first day, big problems here." Dokoupil was forced to improvise, discussing the unrelated photographs of Senator Kelly and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth that were being displayed.
Online Ridicule and Accusations of Sabotage
The segment swiftly spread across social media, where it was branded a display of "complete and utter incompetence." Former NBC Universal senior executive Mike Sington called the broadcast "embarrassing" and pointed to the "inexperience of new CBS News chief Bari Weiss."
Some observers speculated that the error may have been deliberate. NYT bestselling author Shannon Watts posted on X, "Welcome to the resistance, teleprompter person," suggesting a disgruntled staffer unhappy with the new leadership could have sabotaged the broadcast.
A Mission to Rebuild Trust
The awkward debut followed Dokoupil's mission statement video, released prior to the broadcast, in which he vowed to serve "the average American" over advocates and elites. He cited past media failures on stories from Hillary Clinton's emails to Donald Trump's fitness for office as reasons viewers' trust has eroded.
This Monday broadcast was Dokoupil's first regular slot after a last-minute Saturday edition covering news from Venezuela. He was appointed to the flagship role by Weiss in December following an external search, having previously co-hosted CBS Mornings and worked for NBC News and MSNBC.
