'Totally MAGA': Bari Weiss pick to anchor CBS News is off to a rough start
A video from CBS News posted to X on New Year's Day, designed to introduce the journalistic path recently promoted CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil will be taking, was greeted with no small measure of skepticism on social media.
Since the controversial Bari Weiss was picked to run the CBS News division despite a lack of experience in television news, every move has been scrutinized and Dokoupil’s pledge reaffirmed concerns about the dismantling of journalistic standards.
Coming not long after Weiss spiked a “60 Minutes” investigation into the horrific experiences of migrants detained by ICE and transferred to El Salvador's CECOT prison facility, Dokopuil’s comment that “the press has missed the story” too often set off a wave of derision and accusations of dumbing down the news.
“On too many stories, the press has missed the story. Because we've taken into account the perspective of advocates and not the average American. Or we put too much weight in the analysis of academics or elites, and not enough on you,” he asserted.
“That changes now,” the CBS News post boasted.
“The replies are a perfect mix of his target audience not believing him and everyone else being embarrassed for him,“ culture commentator Jay Smooth observed.
“We will be covering the world at a 2nd grade reading-level, and visuals even MAGA will understand,” John Collins added.
Podcaster Buck Johnson contributed, “This is hilarious. ‘I’ve cheated on you for decades. But trust me, I’m the one who feels the pain. I’m here to tell you I’m a new man. Trust me.’”
Pointing out the new leadership at CBS News, another observer noted, “Imagine the News telling people ‘hey we’ve lied and deceived you for decades, but now we’ll be honest’. His bosses the ones who made him and many others lie to us gave this speech the green light. Let that sink in.”
Journalist Michael Salfino wrote, “Totally MAGA to dismiss experts and thus objective reality while giving credence to the superstitions and beliefs of the dim-witted common man.”
“ie, you’re dumbing down the ‘news’ so it resonates with MAGA,” influencer Travis Akers observed.
Dokoupil will assume his anchor duties next Monday night.
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