CBS News held a meeting with its executives to discuss the on-air conflict between the writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and CBS Mornings co-anchor Tony Dokoupil. Last week, Tony Dokoupil talked about Ta-Nehisi Coates' new book The Message that it was a volume that could be found in an extremist's backpack.
As reported by CNNCBS News held an editorial meeting on Monday (Oct. 7), and the topic of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Tony Dokoupil took center stage at one point. According to testimony, the company did counter Dokoupil's approach while adding that they spoke with him about the matter.
CNN was able to obtain a comment from a CBS News employee who believed Dokoupil was not doing anything unusual for reporters.
“We have an obligation as journalists to challenge controversial guests, and that's what Tony did,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the show.
Coates, who just released his latest non-fiction collection, The Messagewas on CBS Mornings to discuss the book, which depicts his trip to the Gaza Strip along with other racial examinations of Africa and the Americas.
Dokoupil, who is married to MSNBC host Katy Tur and has children and an ex-wife who lives in Israel, seemingly went on the offensive and dominated the segment while co-hosts Gayle King and Nate Burleson barely spoke.
“I have to say when I read the book, I imagine that if I took your name out of it, took away the awards, the recognition, took the cover off the book, the publishing house went away, the contents of this section would not be out of place in a backpack extremist,” Dokupil said.
To his credit, Coates gamely stood his ground and responded to Dokoupil's challenge, although the tension between the pair was visible at times. The moment has caused some internal turmoil at CBS, with some siding with Dokoupil and others feeling the co-host's tone was loaded.
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