October 8, 2024

"[CBS journalist Tony] Dokoupil met for an hour with members of the CBS News standards and practices team and the in-house Race and Culture Unit..."

"... which advises on 'context, tone and intention' of news programming. The conversation focused on Mr. Dokoupil’s tone of voice, phrasing and body language during his interview with [Ta-NeHisi] Coates.... Executives who discussed the interview on Monday’s call had asked staff members to keep their remarks confidential. But their comments were reported within hours by Puck, and The Free Press, the news and opinion site run by Bari Weiss, published audio recordings of the meeting.... Jan Crawford, the chief legal correspondent at CBS News, spoke up later on the call to say she did not understand why Mr. Dokoupil’s questions had not met editorial standards. 'When someone comes on our air with a one-sided account of a very complex situation, as Coates himself acknowledges that he has, it’s my understanding that as journalists we are obligated to challenge that worldview so that our viewers can have that access to the truth or a fuller account,' Ms. Crawford said. 'To me, that is what Tony did.' Ms. Crawford said she was confused as to how CBS correspondents should proceed. 'What is the objective standard for the rest of us when we are doing our own interviews?' she asked."

From "CBS Rebukes Anchor Over Tense Interview With Ta-Nehisi Coates/Executives said the interview, conducted by the morning show anchor Tony Dokoupil, had fallen short of network editorial standards" (NYT). You can see video of Dokoupil questioning Coates here.

38 comments:

Maynard said...

The "In-house Race and Culture Unit".

Madame Mao approves.

Iman said...

It’s tough to expose a fraud. CBS News is running hard against the other networks for the “Mendacious Douchebags of 2024” award.

Quayle said...

"Now just a minute! This is a press conference! The last thing I want to do is answer a lot of questions!"

General Mitchell, Mash, Season 2, Episode 12 - "The Incubator"

gspencer said...

"Your job is to make all leftists, of which Democrats are a major subset, look good. No deviation from that purpose. Capeesh?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRoB1z3Tbo4

Money Manger said...

Yes, the "Race and Culture Unit'. I hope they get to wear sharp uniforms. Preferably black leather. Maybe a bespoken geometric design as a shoulder patch. And boots.

RideSpaceMountain said...

A conversation between liars and a fraud. Apparently the damned really do have things to say to the damned.

MadisonMan said...

The best part of that clip on FoxNews? The other two CBS anchors trying to look engaged.
FWIW, I thought he asked good questions, and I thought Coates replied pretty well too. Of course, that's just the clip that I saw, not the whole thing.

wildswan said...

Essentially Doukophil asks Coates why he is presenting a one-sided account of the conflict which would imply support for the destruction of Israel, Coates answers that when you oppose the death penalty, you do not ask what crime has led to the conviction, you oppose the death penalty. Similarly when you see Palestinians segregated, you do not ask why if you are an American Black. You assume that this is the same kind of segregation your ancestors suffered and you oppose it.
I guess my follow-up question would be: Do the Palestinians impose the same form of "segregation" on Jews? and on Christians? Can Jews live in Gaza?
If both sides are imposing "segregation," why are you only criticising one side? Do you think really know what is happening in the Mid-East when you knowingly impose the lens of your own social group's past history onto another area with a long history of its own?
I think he is criticizing one side only because of latent, unacknowleged anti-semitism. And, I think I see a bit of a self-righteous coward, unable to confront his own nasty thoughts.

Ambrose said...

Good to see some push back from others at CBS.

Gusty Winds said...

"White guy challenges anti-semitic world view and CBS has to have a meeting"

But Leslie Stahl gets a free pass on lying about Hunter's laptop.

Joe Bar said...

I saw the clip of the interview, and, it seemed very fair to me. Coates also gave good answers, although I disagree with them. I suppose the controversy is over to WHOM the "journalists" are allowed to ask hard questions.

Jersey Fled said...

It’s so hard to be a lefty when you are constantly tripping over your own narratives.

Quaestor said...

"And, I think I see a bit of a self-righteous coward, unable to confront his own nasty thoughts."

A bit?

Tomorrow's lesson in understatement: Mt. Everest Is a Pebble.

RideSpaceMountain said...

I can imagine dystopian futures where these liars are kissing a wall. Their cute little "press" badges will not avail them.

Quaestor said...

"Yes, the 'Race and Culture Unit'"

I see they've renamed the Rasse und Siedlungshauptamt. Good. RuSHA was such a confusing acronym.

Kate said...

Helpful summary. Coates likes to take a very horizontal view of topics. Vertical is not his specialty.

EdwdLny said...

" Didn't meet editorial standards ". In other words, he told the truth. Coates is a racist, antisemite, raving lunatic looking for another grift. He truly is another lib turd creature. Good grief what a cesspool the media is.

n.n said...

Several more reasons to abort CBS News. You were not viable at Diversity (e.g. racism).

rehajm said...

I we rename FEMA to The Race and Culture Unit I'm certain their response time would improve...

rehajm said...

...but when the Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down the pirates don't eat the tourists! Yes, a bad analogy but not as bad as Coates'...

Deep State Reformer said...

All the more reason not to listen to their crap. What kind of news reporting outfit has a "race and culture department"? That's just creepy.

The rule of Lemnity said...

The messenger is as important if not more important than his message. Somebody didn’t get the memo.

Democratic Paychecks for Perks/ Dems for Demolition of Democracy/ fake-cares 4-U said...

"Race and Culture Unit"

Insanity of the diversity democratic Soviet.

Skeptical Voter said...

Sounds like this interviewer committed the sin of journalism. CBS can't have its employees doing that.

Democratic Paychecks for Perks/ Dems for Demolition of Democracy/ fake-cares 4-U said...

Are all of these so-called respected "news" "organizations" being pressured from the Democrat-mob? -the same forces that say "you do not cross the FBI"??? or - is the left-wing obedience coming from inside the house?

Democratic Paychecks for Perks/ Dems for Demolition of Democracy/ fake-cares 4-U said...

There is a pattern:
When cocaine was found inside the Biden White House (Gee - we are all mystified who that belongs to?)
The lead of the Secret Service - The same woman who supposedly gave Trump the security D-team in Butler PA (whatever - dude was a paid patsy) - she fought to keep the entire story secret - supposedly... and a whistleblower said- NO. That Whistleblower was punished.
Again - the democrat party elite pulling all the strings here. It's mob operation.

hombre said...

'"..we are obligated to challenge that worldview so that our viewers can have that access to the truth or a fuller account,' Ms. Crawford said.' Yes, except for the "truth" part. Journalistic truth is no longer objective.

mccullough said...

Coates never asks himself how his ancestors ended up as slaves in the first place. The answer is that they lost in battles to other black tribes. Obama’s ancestors were the winners. They sold the Coates as spoils of victory. Coates can’t bear reality.

Quayle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rocco said...

mccullough said...
"Coates never asks himself how his ancestors ended up as slaves in the first place. The answer is that they lost in battles to other black tribes. Obama’s ancestors were the winners. They sold the Coates as spoils of victory."

One of the reasons Islam spread across Africa the way it did was because Islam forbids taking Muslims as slaves. Others are fine for slavery. Just not Muslims.

Rocco said...

mccullough said...
"Coates never asks himself how his ancestors ended up as slaves in the first place. The answer is that they lost in battles to other black tribes. Obama’s ancestors were the winners. They sold the Coates as spoils of victory."

Obama's Luo ancestors were settler-colonizers in Kenya, arriving some time between then 15th and 19th centuries.

Real American said...

"in-house Race and Culture Unit..."

I found the problem.

Saint Croix said...

It's like Adrienne Roark wants to give Coates affirmative action and protect him from criticism, pushback, or any hard questioning. It's infantilizing to treat him that way. The questions were hard, and he handled them well. Why attack the reporter?

"Didn't meet standards." For what? Slow-pitch softball? Racist worldview? Woke children?

CBS is the home of Mike Wallace, for fuck's sake. Did he ever ask a hard question?

Michael K said...

There is a video interview of a Kamala staffer saying the cocaine was for her.

Barney Owasco said...

In the words of a great American philosopher, you need to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em and it seems it's time for Dokoupil to walk away from CBS News.

Ampersand said...

where?

hawkeyedjb said...

The people who manage network news organizations are just as strongly in favor of censorship as the people who manage the government. It's one reason (of many) why I haven't watched a network news broadcast in over 20 years. CBS is asshoe!

Democratic Paychecks for Perks/ Dems for Demolition of Democracy/ fake-cares 4-U said...

Here:
The American people are this woman.
The guy is The View, Biden, harris, Obama, Clinton, Fauci, Myorkas, Soros, MSM , Drudge, Maddow, FBI... all Loyalist idiots et al..