Media Madness
Bubba
08 Oct
An interview with the progressive writer Ta-Nehisi Coates has kicked up a hornet’s nest at CBS News. (Puck)
The latest: Last week’s sit-down between Coates and the CBS Mornings crew failed to meet the network’s editorial standards, CBS executives told staff at a meeting on Monday.
Puck’s Dylan Byers reported that CBS invited a “mental health expert, DEI strategist and trauma trainer” to moderate a discussion on the incident at an all-staff meeting today.
How The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Welprin characterized the controversy:
The interview was contentious, but civil, with [CBS Mornings co-host Tony Dokoupil] asking pointed questions of Coates like “Why leave out that Israel is surrounded by countries that want to eliminate it?” and comments like “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… the content of that section would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist.”
Not surprisingly given the high emotional stakes of anything that involves Israel and Palestine, the interview garnered a strong reaction online, and within CBS News, with some arguing that the tough questions were justified, and others arguing that Dokoupil’s personal views were a factor.
Bubba’s Two Cents
So let’s get this straight, politely pushing back on some objectively fringe views is biased and journalistic malpractice? Where was this energy during the network’s combative 2020 interview with Donald Trump? CBS reporters were right to ask Trump tough questions then, and Dokoupil was right to challenge Coates last week. Calling a “trauma expert” in for this is completely absurd and a horrible look for whoever’s in charge at the network …and that’s putting it nicely.
Judge for yourself: Watch the interview here.