CBS News held a meeting with its executive members to discuss the on-air clash between author Ta-Nehisi Coates and CBS Mornings co-host Tony Dokoupil. Last week, Tony Dokoupil said of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ new book The Message that it was a tome that could be found in the backpack of an extremist.
As reported by CNN, CBS News held an editorial meeting on Monday (October 7) and the matter of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Tony Dokoupil was at the center of the discussion at one point. According to accounts, the company did address Dokoupil’s approach while adding that they spoke with him about the matter.
CNN was able to obtain a comment from a CBS News staffer who thought Dokoupil didn’t do anything out of the ordinary for journalists.
“We have an obligation as journalists to challenge controversial guests, and that’s what Tony did,” said the staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity to the outlet.
Coates, who just released his latest collection of non-fiction writing, The Message, was on CBS Mornings to discuss the book, which depicts his journey to the Gaza region along with other examinations of race in Africa and America.
Dokoupil, who is married to MSNBC anchor Katy Tur and has children and an ex-wife living in Israel, seemingly went on the offensive and dominated the segment while co-hosts Gayle King and Nate Burleson barely got words in.
“I have to say when I read the book, I imagine if I took your name out of it, took away the awards, the acclaim, took the cover off the book, publishing house goes away, the content of that section would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist,” Dokoupil said.
To his credit, Coates gamely stood his ground and met Dokoupil’s challenge although the tension between the pair was sometimes visible. The moment has caused some inner turmoil at CBS with some siding with Dokoupil and others feeling that the co-host’s tone was charged.
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