CBS has unveiled the next anchor of the esteemed CBS Evening News, setting the stage for a revitalization under the new editorial leadership of Bari Weiss and president Tom Cibrowski. Tony Dokoupil, currently co-anchor of CBS Mornings, has been named to succeed Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson, who are exiting CBS News this month after their stewardship of the evening news program earlier this year.
Dokoupil announced the move on CBS Mornings on Wednesday, stating, "It's a massively important show with a storied history. It's the oldest, boldest, most storied, battle-scarred, and proud show in television news."
With a background that includes his tenure at WCBS and 21 years of service to CBS News, Dokoupil brings an authenticity and compassion to the anchor desk that is unmatched. As Weiss emphasized in her first meeting with CBS News staff, her goal is to "win," and Dokoupil's elevation is a clear effort to shake things up in the TV news industry.
"We live in a time when many people have lost trust in the media," said Weiss. "Tony Dokoupil is the person to win it back. He believes in old school journalistic values: asking the hard questions, following the facts wherever they lead, and holding power to account. Americans hungry for fairness will see that on display night after night."
Dokoupil joined CBS News as a correspondent in 2016 and became an anchor of the morning show in 2019. His elevation to the evening news anchor position is expected to be followed by changes at CBS Mornings, with Gayle King and Nate Burleson joining him in announcing the move.
Dokoupil's elevation also marks a turning point for CBS News, as Weiss seeks to leave her mark across the network's programming. His departure from CBS Mornings will inevitably bring about significant changes, as King hinted at during her co-anchor role.
"Nobody was saying, 'I hope Tony gets a job,' because we didn't want you to leave," King said. "But now that the decision has been made, I think it's a great decision for all of us. Now, what are we gonna do guys? What's gonna happen to us?"
