CBS News has appointed Tony Dokoupil, currently a co-host on CBS Mornings, as the new anchor for CBS Evening News, starting January 5. The move replaces the previous co-anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois, who departed in late 2025. Dokoupil aims to restore trust in media through fair reporting and open discussion.
Announcement Details
CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss announced that Tony Dokoupil will take over as the sole anchor for CBS Evening News, effective Monday, January 5, at 6:30 p.m. ET. Dokoupil, 44, brings his experience from CBS Mornings, where he has co-hosted since 2019, along with roles as a CBS News correspondent and anchor of the weekly series The Uplift on CBS 24/7.
Weiss praised Dokoupil in a statement, saying, 'We live in a time in which many people have lost trust in the media. Tony Dokoupil is the person to win it back. That's because he believes in old school journalistic values: asking the hard questions, following the facts wherever they lead, and holding power to account.' Dokoupil echoed this sentiment, stating, 'After 20 years in journalism, traveling through all 50 states and talking with people in hundreds of far-flung American places, I realize why a country this big needs a show this ambitious. The strength of our nation is that we benefit from fair reporting and the open discussion of all ideas.'
Background and Departures
Dokoupil replaces John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois, who co-anchored the program until their exits in late 2025. Dickerson, announcing his departure in October, said, 'I am extremely grateful for all that CBS gave me — the work, the audience's attention and the honor of being a part of the network's history.' DuBois shared in an Instagram post in early December, 'It has been the Honor of a Lifetime... To be welcomed into your homes night after night, delivering the news/meeting extraordinary people and telling their stories. I'll leave filled with gratitude, cherished relationships, and amazing memories.'
The appointment reverts the show to a single-anchor format after a period of dual presentation. Dokoupil plans to spend his first month touring U.S. towns and cities to connect with viewers.
Challenges Ahead
CBS Evening News has struggled in third place behind ABC's World News Tonight and NBC's Nightly News for years, with viewership declining and ad revenue down 5% from 2020 to 2024. Recent averages show 4.36 million viewers for the period ending December 5, 2025, compared to 5.2 million at the start of the Dickerson-DuBois era. Dokoupil's scholarly background, starting as a writer for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, positions him to tackle these issues amid competition from traditional and digital news sources.
