A lot has changed since the first person took the chair at the Evening News. For me, the biggest difference is: people don’t trust us like they used to.
And it’s not just us. These are all traditional media.
I understand. I have heard about it from almost everyone, for over 20 years, as I traveled across America on missions. My mother’s neighbors in West Virginia. My own neighbors in New York. Thousands of conversations between the two.
Sometimes they want to talk to me about our coverage of NAFTA or the Iraq War. Other times it’s Hillary Clinton’s emails or Russiagate. Or more recently, COVID lockdowns, Hunter Biden’s laptop, or the president’s fitness for office.
The fact is that in too many articles, the press did not understand the information. Because we considered the advocates’ point of view, not the average American’s. Or we put too much emphasis on the analysis of academics or elites, and not enough on you.
I know this because, at times, I have been you. I felt that too. I felt like what I saw and heard on the news didn’t reflect what I saw and heard in my own life. And that the most pressing questions were simply not being asked.
So here’s my promise while I’m sitting in this chair: You come first. Not the advertisers. Not politicians. Not corporate interests. And, yes, that includes the companies that own CBS.
I report for you.
Which means I tell you what I know, when I know it and how I know it. And if I’m wrong, I’ll tell you that too. It also means that I will speak to everyone and ask everyone in public life to respect the same standards. And because I became a journalist to talk to people. I love talking to people about what works in this country, what doesn’t, and not only what should change, but also the good ideas that should never change.
I think telling the truth is part of it.
Hold me to this.
The new CBS Evening News With Tony Dokoupil begins January 5. Tune in at 6:30 p.m. local time on CBS to watch it live, or watch the replay on CBS News 24/7 to 10 p.m. ET. You can also stream the show on demand later each night on CBSNews.com, Paramount+ And CBS Evening News YouTube channel.
