Tony Dokoupil, who is set to take over as anchor of the “CBS Evening News” on Jan. 5, 2026, used a New Year’s Day video message to acknowledge eroding trust in major news organizations and to promise tougher accountability, faster clarity on what is known, and frank corrections when errors occur.
Tony Dokoupil, a CBS News correspondent and co-host of “CBS Mornings,” released a video message on Jan. 1, 2026 outlining how he says he plans to approach his next role: anchoring the “CBS Evening News,” beginning Jan. 5, 2026.
In the video, which was posted on X by the CBS Evening News account and quoted by multiple outlets, Dokoupil said public trust in major news organizations has declined over the years.
“A lot has changed since the first person sat in this chair,” he said, adding that “people do not trust us like they used to,” and that this skepticism extends broadly across “legacy media.”
Dokoupil also pointed to a set of high-profile issues that have become flashpoints in American political debate—including COVID-19 lockdowns, Hillary Clinton’s email controversy, Hunter Biden’s laptop story, the Iraq War, and scrutiny of former President Joe Biden’s fitness for office—as examples of topics where segments of the public believe news coverage fell short.
He argued that, in his view, news organizations have too often elevated the perspectives of advocates, academics and elites over those of ordinary viewers. “On too many stories, the press has missed the story,” he said, because of an overreliance on those perspectives.
Dokoupil framed his message as a pledge to prioritize viewers over outside pressures. “You come first,” he said, adding: “Not advertisers, not politicians, not corporate interests. And yes, that does include the corporate owners of CBS.”
He also promised to explain what he knows and how he knows it, and to acknowledge mistakes when they occur. The broader aim, he said, is to apply consistent standards while reporting on what is working in the country, what is not, and what should change—while keeping truth-telling as a core value.
The message comes amid broader leadership changes at CBS News. Bari Weiss has been appointed CBS News’ editor-in-chief, and CBS has said Dokoupil’s tenure will include reporting from communities around the country in the early weeks of the revamped broadcast.
