The CBS Mornings anchor's boss makes a public appearance after Tony Dokoupil was spotted “in trouble” during a grueling interview with controversial author Ta-Nehisi Coates. Jewish civil rights groups have come to the defense of Tony Dokoupil, the Post reported.
Jonathan Greenblatt, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said Monday that Dokoupil had been disciplined over his interview with Coates last week, according to people familiar with the matter. We contacted Wendy McMahon.
Insiders said the move to discipline Dokoupil followed an investigation by the network's diversity and inclusion department. Several CBS staffers also complained to their bosses that the questions asked of Coates were too biased in Israel's favor, sources said.
In response, CBS executives said Dokoupil's questioning meant he had an “axe to sharpen” and did not “put aside personal feelings and beliefs,” according to a leaked recording of an editorial meeting. It was concluded that this shows that.
Now, the ADL is worried that Dokoupil will lose his job after he presses Coates with his far-left views on Israel in his latest book. Ali Zelenko, ADL's senior vice president for external affairs, was scheduled to meet with McMahon on Tuesday, the people said.
In an interview with the Post, Greenblatt acknowledged that he spoke with McMahon on Monday and said there was nothing wrong with Dokoupil challenging Coates' “one-sided” views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The organization has made its position clear that it has not done so.
“I just wanted to know what Mr. Dokoupil did wrong in questioning Mr. Coates' conclusions,” Greenblatt added. “And we continue to ask those questions.”
Greenblatt also said he told McMahon it would be “very insensitive” to reprimand Dokoupil in a company-wide forum, especially on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre.
Greenblatt declined to comment on McMahon's reaction, saying the conversation was off the record.
Media representatives from CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global, did not respond to numerous calls and emails seeking comment.
CBS' new owner, an independent studio known as Skydance, also wants answers. The studio is run by David Ellison, known for creating the mega-hit “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Ellison's team recently reached an agreement with CBS' parent company Paramount and the Redstone family to take over the company. The deal is worth $28 billion and is expected to close next year.
Ellison's father is Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who helped finance the deal with private equity firm Redbird Capital. The right-wing billionaire is a longtime supporter of Israel and a friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Redbird partner and former NBCU chief Jeff Shell has been put in charge of CBS and has been informed of the misconduct involving Dokoupil, the people said.
A Skydance spokesperson had no comment.
Last Monday on “CBS Morning,” Dokoupil, who is Jewish, spoke to Coates about the conclusions of his new book, “The Message,” that Israel is a state built on “nationalism” and “apartheid.” I asked a question.
During the interview, Dokoupil also asked Coates whether Palestinians should be blamed for the continued conflict, including the October 7 massacre.
Coates, who is Black, is a Pulitzer Prize winner known for his controversial writings on racial issues, including calls for reparations for slavery.
Critics of The Message accuse the book of insufficient scholarship on the roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and argue that it essentially calls for the disappearance of the Jewish state.
