Backlash Brews Over Tony Dokoupil’s Interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates on 'CBS Mornings'

By Dustin Rowles | TV | October 9, 2024 |

By Dustin Rowles | TV | October 9, 2024 |

I bought Ta-Nehisi Coates’ new book, The Message, after watching an insightful 20-minute interview between Coates and Jon Stewart on The Daily Show last week, where Coates discussed the humiliation of oppression. He said something during that interview that has been rolling around in my mind ever since: “Your oppression will not save you.”

Later in the week, Coates appeared on the CBS Morning Show, where one might expect a typical morning-show interview. That’s likely what Nate Burleson and Gayle King would have delivered, but Tony Dokoupil hijacked the conversation, suggesting Coates’ views on Gaza could be considered “extremist” and pressing him on why he didn’t include an Israeli perspective on the conflict.

Honestly, I didn’t immediately react to Dokoupil’s aggressive questioning. I was more impressed by how Coates handled the situation. My first thought wasn’t, “Dokoupil went too far,” but rather: “Coates is right. Why isn’t there one single Palestinian bureau chief or correspondent articulating the perspective from that part of the world?”

The backlash to the interview has been gradual, but on Monday morning, CBS News leadership addressed it in an editorial meeting, criticizing Dokoupil’s approach without mentioning him by name for violating CBS News standards. Shari Redstone, CBS and Paramount’s controlling shareholder (for now), reportedly told executives she disagreed with how the situation was handled and did not believe the interview violated editorial standards.

Dokoupil has faced criticism not only for his aggressive questioning but also for sidelining Gayle King and Nate Burleson. Initially, I thought they might have agreed that Dokoupil would take the lead, but it turns out that wasn’t the case. King actually had several questions prepared for Coates, as he revealed to Trevor Noah on his podcast.

“The thing that went wrong in that interview, more than anything, as far as I’m concerned, is, and I know she’s getting a lot of stuff right now, so I really wanna say this. Gayle King is a great journalist and a great interviewer. And Gayle came behind the stage before we went [on] and she had gone through the book, and I’m not saying she agreed with the book. She was like, ‘I’m gonna ask you about this. I’m gonna ask you about that.’”

Noah himself has weighed in as well, mentioning in the trailer for his next podcast episode with Coates, “I very seldom get angry on people’s behalf, but man, we haven’t been able to stop talking about the CBS interview. I don’t think you understand the shock wave that interview created, not because of what you said, but because of the way people felt like you were treated.”

CBS has stated it won’t discipline Dokoupil, and I’m not even sure they should. But despite Coates’ impressive handling of the interview, I do hope that Dokoupil recognizes that he crossed the line from “aggressive questioning” to “unprofessional jackass,” and didn’t do himself any favors at the end of the interview by fully showing his hand. “You’re still invited to high holidays,” he said to Coates. “I’ll see you at the schul.”