Pandemonium at CBS News After Journalist Pushes Back on Anti-Israel Author Ta-Nehisi Coates
“During its editorial meeting on Monday at 9 a.m.—the morning of October 7—the network’s top brass all but apologized for the interview to staff, saying that it did not meet the company’s ‘editorial standards.'”
On September 30th, anti-Israel author Ta-Nehisi Coates sat down for what turned out to be a spirited six-and-a-half-minute interview on CBS Mornings, during which co-anchor Tony Dokoupil challenged some of the claims made in Coates’ new book, “The Message.”
The book contains several essays about some of Coates’ travels, with the longest one being about his trip “to Palestine.” It was claims made in that essay that Dokoupil zeroed in on for closer examination during their exchange:
“I have to say, when I read the book, I imagine if I took your name out of it, took away the awards, the acclaim, took the cover off the book, publishing house goes away, the content of that section would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist,” Dokoupil said.
“So then I found myself wondering, why does Ta’Nehisi Coates, who I’ve known for a long time, read his work for a long time, very talented, smart guy, leave out so much? Why leave out that Israel is surrounded by countries that want to eliminate it? Why leave out that Israel deals with terror groups that want to eliminate it? Why not detail anything of the first and the second Intifada, the café bombings, the bus bombings, the little kids blown to bits. Is it because you just don’t believe that Israel in any condition has a right to exist?” the CBS anchor continued.
Perhaps because Coates’ word is viewed as sacrosanct by woke leftists in the media, academia, and beyond despite his deeply flawed logic on issues like reparations, eruptions began almost immediately in the CBS newsroom, with tensions boiling over a week later during an editorial call:
During its editorial meeting on Monday at 9 a.m.—the morning of October 7—the network’s top brass all but apologized for the interview to staff, saying that it did not meet the company’s “editorial standards.” After being introduced by Wendy McMahon, the head of CBS News, Adrienne Roark, who is in charge of news gathering at the network, began her remarks by saying covering a story like October 7 “requires empathy, respect, and a commitment to truth.”
After quoting extensively from the CBS News handbook, she said, “We will still ask tough questions. We will still hold people accountable. But we will do so objectively, which means checking our biases and opinions at the door.”
Listen to portions of that call below (starts at around the :45 mark):
CBS journalist @TonyDokoupil asked Ta-Nehisi Coates tough questions. Then the backlash began.
Listen to the audio obtained by The FP of the contentious editorial meeting that followed. https://t.co/mwMPqqs7kK pic.twitter.com/SIdI4Icq5X
— The Free Press (@TheFP) October 7, 2024
Presumably, the “bias” accusations stem from the fact that, according to the New York Post, Dokoupil is “a convert to Judaism whose ex-wife lives in Israel along with their two children.”
But back to the Monday call, one brave member of the news team, Jan Crawford, spoke up in defense of Dokoupil, correctly pointing out that asking tough questions and challenging the premises of people in positions of influence and/or power is what reporters are supposed to do:
“I don’t even understand how Tony’s interview failed to meet our editorial standards… I thought our commitment was to truth. When someone comes on our air with a one-sided account of very complex situation—which Coates himself acknowledges that he has—it’s my understanding that as a journalist we are obligated to challenge that worldview, so that our viewers can have access to the truth and can have a more balanced account…”
“… And that is what Tony did. He challenged Coates’ one-sided worldview, Coates got to respond. It was civil… I don’t see how we can say that it failed to meet our editorial standards…. Tony prevented a one-sided account from being broadcast on our network about a deeply complex situation that completely was devoid of history or fact. As journalists, that’s what we have an obligation to do.”
But the powers that be at CBS News would not be swayed. In response to the uproar, they invited a DEI expert, Dr. Donald Grant, to come in and soothe ruffled feathers. But that idea soon got nixed after social media sleuths discovered some rather eye-opening posts from Grant:
Originally, CBS News had invited a self-described “mental health expert, DEI strategist, and trauma trainer” named Dr. Donald Grant to moderate a conversation on the issue in an all-staff meeting on Tuesday. That plan was scrapped after old social media posts from Dr. Grant surfaced—including one where he referred to South Carolina senator Tim Scott as “Uncle Tim” (a reference to “Uncle Tom”) and another of him describing a possible second Trump term as “MAGAcide” and the “death of a nation.” Seems like just the guy you should call when you want to smooth things over. (A source close to the drama told The Free Press that the network was “humiliated by his Instagram.”)
As @JerryDunleavy pointed out, here is an Instagram post from the DEI expert that CBS News called in to their offices tomorrow for an all staff struggle session https://t.co/Zw6wWIj7J5 pic.twitter.com/j5ny5dwIsQ
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 7, 2024
This is the most recent tweet by Dr. Donald Grant Jr., the self-described DEI strategist whom CBS News invited to moderate a convo at their newsroom after people at CBS News melted down after an anchor dared to ask Ta-Nehisi a few tough questions about his biased book on Israel. https://t.co/Y9M4J7xZcE pic.twitter.com/OSQ7Qv9WKT
— Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) October 7, 2024
The Free Press went on to report that the Tuesday staff meeting still went on but that there was yelling and tears involved:
One source familiar with the proceedings suggested it was a “shit show,” with various employees “yelling.” Shawna Thomas, the show’s executive producer, was in tears. So was Dokoupil.
There was an open debate in the meeting about whether it is “fair to talk about whether Israel should exist at all.” There are some people at CBS who think that “Israel’s existence as a state should be part of fair conversation,” said one CBS source. Can you imagine journalists having that conversation about any other country?
And as it turns out, in addition to Crawford, Dokoupil has more defenders, including those in very high places:
Shari Redstone, the chair of CBS parent company Paramount Global, said Wednesday that CBS leadership made a “bad mistake” with their handling of “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil’s contentious interview last week with author Ta-Nehisi Coates.
[…]
“I think Tony did a great job with that interview. I think he handled himself and showed the world and modeled what civil discourse is. He showed that there was accountability, that there is a system of checks and balances, and frankly, I was very proud of the work that he did,” Redstone said Wednesday during a panel at Advertising Week in New York.
Redstone also argued that the situation was “not handled correctly” by the CBS News higher-ups and said that “something needs to be done,” though she didn’t specify exactly what.
Reactions:
He made Coates look like a fool and completely ignorant on the conflict. That should not be a firing offense that should be caused for promotion. https://t.co/meQOCPfNvV
— William A. Jacobson (@wajacobson) October 2, 2024
Ta-Nehisi Coates has the "privilege" not to be asked questions about his crap ignorant bigoted take on the Middle East, except perhaps in hushed obedient tones, and you dare not look at him directly. But remember, he's the victim and is owed reparations. https://t.co/D8Ahx0AOnn
— William A. Jacobson (@wajacobson) October 9, 2024
I'm sorry your cherished icon of sixth-grade illogic, imbecilic immorality, and overwritten purple prose is receiving mild criticism rather than drooling worship https://t.co/CMDCIFbYQK
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 8, 2024
Ta Nehisi Coates’ entire gambit is to make childlike, stupid, and uninformed arguments and then hang the implicit threat of calling you racist over your head to prevent you from pointing out that he is fact stupid, childlike, and uninformed.
— Coddled affluent professional (@feelsdesperate) October 7, 2024
The unspoken rule in much of mainstream press is that charlatans like Ta-Nehisi Coates need to go unchallenged and their noxious ideas swallowed whole without question or you are racist
So I was surprised by Tony's tough interview — and not surprised by the blowback he is now… https://t.co/P3XjQgS5jk
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) October 7, 2024
I don't know @tonydokoupil. Never met him.
But the idea that because Dokoupil challenged Ta-Nehisi Coates on Coates' controversial views on Israel and the broader Middle East he did something wrong is legitimately the opposite of journalism.
The *job* is to ask hard questions.
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) October 9, 2024
Is this the society you want to live in and leave your children, where a journalist doing his job is shamed and forced to self-criticize and offer apology, and the media outlet he works for brings in someone to carry out Maoist struggle sessions to raise consciousness? https://t.co/2OjdJtpnnU
— Mike Gonzalez (@Gundisalvus) October 9, 2024
The notion that journalism requires a commentator’s opinions to go unchallenged reflects a misunderstanding—indeed a perversion—of the journalistic enterprise.
Since when does journalism demand unquestioning deference to any opinion, let alone that of Ta-Nehisi Coates who, by… pic.twitter.com/uSvYkOuMb9
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) October 9, 2024
Ta-Nehisi Coates is just a cry bully and an intellectual lightweight who can’t defend his own misleading ideas https://t.co/RUXep2WjDG
— William A. Jacobson (@wajacobson) October 9, 2024
The full interview is below for anyone who wants to watch it and form their own opinions on how it went down:
Ta-Nehisi Coates’ new book, “The Message,” is a trio of interconnected essays that examine how the stories people tell — or avoid telling — can shape and even distort reality: “I am most concerned always with those that don’t have a voice.” https://t.co/bDsBxZMbah pic.twitter.com/G4WCkI146I
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) September 30, 2024
— Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via Twitter. —
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Hey, CBS isn’t about objective journalism, and they shouldn’t start now.
In the phrase “CBS News objective journalism”, 3 of the 4 words are lies.
Let us have a brief moment of silence for Tony Dokoupil’s career. Once you have asked the Questions Which Shall Not Be Asked of the Icon With Feet of Clay, there is no return. He will be fired, if not now, right after the election. No apology shall cleanse him of this terrible sin, no groveling will hold back the rage of the Left. He shall wander unhired among the Great Unwashed, the Republicans, Libertarians, and yes even the Podcasters. Perhaps he shall write a book, which the New York Times List of Great Pomposity will pretend does not exist, and bookstores across the country will hide behind unsold stacks of Shades of Grey.
Tony, there’s good money in truck driving. And you’ll sleep better. I wish you the best.
its just another form of censorship against pro western aka patriarchal ideals
The vile Dhimmi-crats and leftist dhimmis won’t allow anyone to question or criticize their manifestly contrived, fallacious and evil propaganda mythologies that wickedly assert that genocidal and belligerent Arab Muslim Fakestinian invaders from Arabia are alleged, perennially oppressed victims who are victimized by Israeli Jews whose forebears were living in the middle east, and, in ancient Israel, millennia before the supremacist, totalitarian, belligerent, hate-filled and pathology-laden ideology of “Submission” was founded; millennia before such a thing as a “Muslim” ever existed.
The despicable and vile Coates’ latest work of self-aggrandizing stupidity and ignorance belongs on a shelf next to “Mein Kampf” and “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.” Just another episode of a Dhimmi-crat stupidly parroting false and slanderous Islamofascist and Muslim supremacist victimology Narratives(TM).
while the msm covers up b on everyone else crimes and is now pushing the
trump people are threatening weather forecasters for talking about climate change as the reasons behind horrific hurricanes
lefty attacks anyone who is interfering with the continued take over of america by the omargang
“the network’s top brass all but apologized for the interview to staff, saying that it did not meet the company’s “editorial standards.”
And yet, Lesly Stahl can call a sitting president a liar to his face — AND be butt-nekkid wrong about it — and fuck-all happens.
Wouldn’t allowing such a one-sided, biased, ill-informed opinion as held by TNC about Israel and the conflict in the Middle East to go unchallenged be evidence of bias? How does questioning a person’s bias become, itself, evidence of bias? Shouldn’t the intelligent person welcome an opportunity to explain their opinions, to dispel notions of bias that may surround them? Didn’t Dokoupil do TNC a favor by setting up what should have been a softball question (if TNC is capable of intelligently defending his opinions) through which he (TNC) was afforded an opportunity to make his opinions more clear and to lend them more credence? If TNC failed to do this, whose fault is that?
They are not just deranged about others and devoid of competence, but delusional they hold the truth.
What we have here is a collision of two opposite premises:
1). That role of the legacy media is to present, as far as possible, an objective reporting news so that their audience has the most complete information to make their own informed decisions .
This is the “Traditional” premise.
2). The role of the legacy media is to decide what the public should hear, and stifle any acknowledgment or discussion of information that does not conform to the “correct” narrative.
This is the non-traditional approach of “advocacy journalism.”
What an embarrassment for the once great “Tiffany Network”…first 60 minutes edits Kamala’s latest word salad non answer in an effort to make her appear coherent. And now this mess. Can’t challenge a blatant Anti Semite on CBS! Crying snowflakes in meetings, etc. Then the go to solution is to bring in a DEI hire self proclaimed mental health advocate., Wow. Just a total shit show…..The legacy media is so over. Who would rely on these Ivy League educated disasters for any news??? Thoughts go out to the reporter, Dokoupil. You gotta get yourself out of that place if you want to present balanced pieces…
Why do I waste my time reading this. Vance covered it great in Detroit when he was ask what he thought of Bob Woodward’s book. Vance “ Is Woodward still alive?!”
Same goes for CBS, does it even exist? Have not watched it in years except when forced to by sports.
I didn’t see any problems with the interview. And the Ta-nehisi guy didn’t seem to mind. He answered and said what he wanted to say. He said that he is against any ethnic nations, but Judaism is not an ethnicity (anyone can convert to Judaism) and pretty much every nation on Earth was built on ethnicity; that’s why they are all named after a people who are named after their language. However … Ta-nehisi doesn’t seem to have any problem with a nation built on the ethnicity of fakestinians (who never had any nation or any state, to begin with and many of whom only came to the area – which was pretty sparsely populated – to work in jobs created by Jews building the region before the establishment of the modern state of Israel).
States are built by force of arms. That is generally true – for real states, at least. No argument about that. But the fakestinians have been on the wrong side of more than a handful of wars against Israel and, by common sense and the idea of actual fairness – should have lost any and all claims to anything. You fight a war, then you must have risked something. If you lose, you should lose whatever it is you risked. It is only the retards of modern times who actually like to claim that a country should never lose any territory in a war – not even in a war they start!! That is just craziness that encourages the worst countries and the worst peoples to start wars all the time (which is what we have been getting).
Ta-nehisi doesn’t like Israel and he seemed pretty happy to say that. He seemed content with his answer and he was certainly given the chance to say whatever he wanted. Perhaps that answer of his is why CBS went into conniptions?
CBS reporting guidelines also emphasize that Jerusalem in not in Israel. And no report is to say such. The location is to be left blank.
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