CBS Had Different 'Editorial Standards' When They Interviewed Dad

We support our Publishers and Content Creators. You can view this story on their website by CLICKING HERE.

CBS News is embroiled in controversy over an interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates. Why? Well, one of their reporters — journalist Tony Dokoupil — dared ask Coates some tough questions about Israel and Palestine. Apparently that doesn’t meet CBS News’ ‘editorial standards’, or something. People were so offended they called in a ‘DEI strategist’ for a group therapy session (but that didn’t go well).

But guess what did meet their editorial standards last year?

Gayle King asking the father of an Israeli hostage — an eight-year-old girl — about having ‘compassion’ for Palestinians who are also dying.

WATCH:

REWIND: This was almost a year ago.

CBS’s Gayle King lecturing the father of an Israeli hostage about needing to have compassion for “Palestinians” who “are dying” too.

Tell me again how Tony Dokoupil is the one who has to cry and beg for forgiveness for supposed bias? https://t.co/VD7CSdzhqn

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 9, 2024

So what changed, CBS?

Here was my @NewsBusters post from that time….

CBS’s Gayle King to Father of Israeli Hostage: ‘Innocent…Palestinians…Are Dying’ Too! https://t.co/IJariHeV8B

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 9, 2024

Worth a read.

A lot of folks arguing that Dokoupil’s questions were inappropriate because the morning show is only supposed to be for puffy, supportive interviews. Well, here’s the same show interviewing a guy whose daughter had been kidnapped on October 7th. Seems …. not so puffy or… https://t.co/oKvQSoabUB

— Megan McArdle (@asymmetricinfo) October 9, 2024

It wasn’t puffy.

And it’s worth noting that this was also a kind of silly question, not because it’s inappropriate, but because a British dude whose eight year old daughter is being held hostage is unlikely to give you a useful answer about the geopolitical question.

— Megan McArdle (@asymmetricinfo) October 9, 2024

It violates CBS standards for Tony Dokoupil to ask Ta-Nehisi Coates tough questions about his anti-Israel screed but apparently it was totally fine for Gayle King to make accusations to the father of a hostage — who said nothing derogatory about Palestinians, btw. https://t.co/qnPVgmk7XJ

— Lahav Harkov 🎗️ (@LahavHarkov) October 9, 2024

We don’t despise the media enough.

Remember this? Editorial standards? https://t.co/PNm70LxD5v

— Adam Rubenstein (@RubensteinAdam) October 9, 2024

Guess those editorial standards only apply in certain situations.

Ta-Nehisi Coates is one of our most respected contemporary writers. He wrote a book that was intended to provoke controversy about Israel, and by his own admission left chunks of history and counter-factuals out of it because those are represented well elsewhere.

Tough… https://t.co/SHCo6U5YtO

— Mike Cosper (@MikeCosper) October 9, 2024

The entire post reads:

Tough questions on CBS have led to the public shaming of one of their journalists, struggle sessions, and DEI workshops.

But when Gayle King interviewed the father of an 8-year-old hostage, asking tough-minded political questions about the larger conflict, did the same concerns get raised?

Wouldn’t you think the standard of how one interviews a grieving and despairing father and how one questions a MacArthur Genius Award winner might look a little different, the assumption being that the Genius ought to have the intellectual resilience and capacity to have his ideas challenged? Especially when he readily admits his project is meant to be provocative?

This is all correct. Except Coates — and CBS News staffers — melted down and couldn’t defend his positions.

Is this the same network now throwing a tantrum fit for a Kidnergarten because that half-wit Coates was pressed and challenged on some of his bulls**t for once rather than fawned over like a child who successfully tied his shoes for the first time? Burn it all TF down. https://t.co/grQVsDHQz0

— CuiBono (@CuiBonoCapital) October 9, 2024

We don’t despise the media enough.