Tony Dokoupil, the CBS Evening News anchor currently under scrutiny, reportedly secured his position due to his television-ready appearance, according to a former colleague.
At 45, Dokoupil was appointed to the prestigious anchor role by CBS News’ newly appointed editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, aged 42, in early January. His transition into this high-profile position was met with immediate backlash from liberal critics, following what was perceived as a lenient interview with then-President Donald Trump.
In a revelation that has sparked further debate, a past producer who worked alongside Dokoupil claims his rapid ascent was largely due to his looks, suggesting he was more visually appealing than his predecessor, John Dickerson.
“You just have to be good eye candy, and he was good eye candy,” the unnamed producer told Vanity Fair.
The producer further commented, “He had a good chunk of hair on his head, and he’s better looking than John Dickerson.”
‘He had a good chunk of hair on his head, and he’s better looking than John Dickerson,’ they added.
The producer noted that Dokoupil had gone from ‘weekend news, just catching weather pieces and learning how to be on broadcast, to being thrown into the morning anchor chair.’
‘That kind of hurdle-jumping never happens,’ the producer told the magazine, calling television ‘superficial’ and ‘fake.’
The producer said that Dokoupil’s ascent was partially because of his writing past, as well.
CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil, 45, has his top gig because of two surprising reasons, according to a producer who previously worked with him
An unnamed producer claimed that Dokoupil’s ascent was partially because he was ‘better looking than John Dickerson,’ referring to the former CBS Evening News co-anchor
CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, 42, elevated Dokoupil to his current position in early January
Before becoming a television correspondent, Dokoupil was a senior writer for The Daily Beast and Newsweek from 2007 until 2013. He also wrote for NBC News from 2013 to 2015.
Outside of journalism, Dokoupil was a book author for the Random House publishing group. He published The Last Pirate in 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The book is a memoir that details how Dokoupil’s father rose ‘from hey-man hippie dealer to multi-ton smuggler extraordinaire’ during the ‘golden age of marijuana’ in the US, according to an Amazon description.
Dokoupil broke out for CBS in 2019, three years after joining the network, when he was named cohost of CBS This Morning with Gayle King and Anthony Mason.
After his promotion and debut as CBS Evening News anchor this January, Dokoupil published on Instagram that ‘we’ll be more accountable and more transparent than Cronkite or anyone else of his era.’
Dokoupil also said in a video published by CBS News that legacy media had missed ‘too many stories.’
He claimed this was because the perspectives of academics and elites were supposedly taken into account over ‘the average American.’
However, Dokoupil’s comments were met with derision by current and former colleagues, according to Vanity Fair.
‘He’s deeply lacking in self-awareness,’ a current correspondent, who was unnamed, said.
Another added: ‘I just don’t even understand how you could say something like that. He completely lost the room.’
Early Nielsen data obtained by the Daily Mail indicated that CBS Evening News was on track for its lowest-rated first quarter of the 21st century
Dokoupil, who was compared to Dickerson, was a senior writer for The Daily Beast and Newsweek from 2007 until 2013 and also wrote for NBC News from 2013 to 2015
CBS News defended Dokoupil’s credentials and current work in a forceful statement.
‘Tony Dokoupil is an exceptional talent and experienced journalist who continues to build a program designed to reach audiences wherever they consume the news,’ CBS News told Vanity Fair.
The network’s statement added that the magazine was peddling ‘old and false rumors’ but that Dokoupil and his team would not be prevented from ‘doing what they do best: reporting the news and telling the truth.’
Dokoupil was especially criticized during his first few weeks on the job, with liberal CBS viewers accusing him of being ‘steamrolled’ by conservative figures, including President Trump.
In January, Dokoupil was questioning the president on inflation and ‘grocery prices going up’ when Trump suggested that the CBS anchor might not be in his current position if Kamala Harris had won the 2024 presidential election.
‘You wouldn’t have this job right now, if she got in,’ Trump said. ‘You probably wouldn’t have a job right now.’
CBS Evening News is currently on track for its lowest-rated first quarter of the 21st century, according to early Nielsen data obtained by the Daily Mail.
In 2019, Dokoupil was named as one of the cohosts of CBS This Morning with Gayle King and Anthony Mason
Dokoupil published The Last Pirate, a memoir about how his father went ‘from hey-man hippie dealer to multi-ton smuggler extraordinaire,’ in 2014
The broadcast is averaging about 4.3million viewers per night, which is down seven percent from last year.
On top of that, the audience has also declined by 18 percent in the 25-54 audience demographic, which is vital for advertisers.
‘Obviously, it’s a disaster,’ a seasoned television news executive told the Daily Mail.
‘The audience is responding to the bad decisions that have been made,’ the executive added. ‘And that’s why they’re tuning out.’
Another said: ‘It is so sad to see CBS become the laughingstock of the industry.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to Paramount, CBS’ parent company, for comment.
