CBS Evening News Sees Surge in Viewership
“CBS Evening News” recently marked its highest viewership since 2021, which is a significant achievement for editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. On January 12, the broadcast attracted 6.4 million viewers, with 803,000 of them falling into the critical 25-54 age demographic, according to CBS News’ public relations team.
This notable uptick in audience size comes just months after liberal backlash against Weiss when she took on her current role in October. The program has been hosted by Tony Dokoupil since January 5, following the departures of Maurice Dubois and John Dickerson.
In a tweet, CBS News PR acknowledged the milestone, noting that on January 19, the show drew its biggest audience since 2021. The Nielsen Big Data+ Panel recorded the average viewership in the target demographic.
The liberal community had reacted strongly against Weiss’ expected leadership, expressing disappointment over her pro-Israel stance and lack of advocacy for far-left ideas. MSNBC host Chris Hayes even suggested she had aligned herself with Donald Trump, while transgender activist Alejandra Caraballo accused her of catering to the biases of the elite.
Commentator John Ganz criticized Weiss, labeling her a “common snob” who had harmed the American system. Dokoupil has also encountered criticism, particularly for his remarks regarding how traditional media often prioritizes elite perspectives over those of average Americans. He cited instances like the Hunter Biden laptop coverage and the debunked Russia collusion claims as examples where the media has lost public trust.
Former CNN reporter John Harwood expressed surprise at Dokoupil’s comments, indicating he hadn’t anticipated such statements from him. Meanwhile, Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia’s Center 4 Politics mocked Dokoupil’s view, pointing out the pitfalls of dismissing academic expertise in favor of unqualified opinions, which can lead to real-world repercussions, such as health crises and misconceptions about voter fraud.
In another instance, former New York Times journalist Andy Revkin accused Dokoupil of undermining previous CBS News reporting. Dokoupil seems to have challenged political leaders directly, even having tense exchanges with figures like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Elizabeth Warren regarding party leadership and policy decisions.
