Embattled CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil secured his position partly because of his made-for-television appearance, according to a former colleague. Dokoupil, 45, was elevated to the anchor chair by CBS News' new conservative editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, 42, in early January, facing immediate liberal criticism over a soft interview with President Donald Trump.
A producer who worked closely with Dokoupil claimed his rise was due to being 'better looking than John Dickerson,' the former co-anchor of CBS Evening News. 'You just have to be good eye candy, and he was good eye candy,' the unnamed producer told Vanity Fair. 'He had a good chunk of hair on his head, and he’s better looking than John Dickerson.'
The producer noted Dokoupil's unusual career trajectory: from weekend news and weather pieces to the morning anchor chair, calling television 'superficial' and 'fake.' 'That kind of hurdle-jumping never happens,' they added. The producer also cited Dokoupil's writing background as a factor.
Before television, Dokoupil was a senior writer for The Daily Beast and Newsweek from 2007 to 2013, and wrote for NBC News from 2013 to 2015. He authored The Last Pirate (2014), a memoir about his father's rise from marijuana dealer to smuggler. He joined CBS in 2016 and became cohost of CBS This Morning in 2019.
After his January promotion, Dokoupil posted on Instagram that the newscast would be 'more accountable and more transparent than Cronkite or anyone else of his era.' He also claimed legacy media missed stories due to prioritizing elites over average Americans. However, current and former colleagues criticized his comments. 'He's deeply lacking in self-awareness,' one current correspondent said. Another added: 'He completely lost the room.'
CBS News defended Dokoupil, calling him an 'exceptional talent and experienced journalist' and dismissing the claims as 'old and false rumors.' Despite this, early Nielsen data shows CBS Evening News on track for its lowest-rated first quarter of the 21st century, averaging 4.3 million viewers per night, down 7% from last year, with an 18% decline in the key 25-54 demographic. A television news executive called it 'a disaster,' and another said, 'It is so sad to see CBS become the laughingstock of the industry.' Paramount, CBS' parent company, did not comment.
