Tony Dokoupil, soon to anchor the CBS Evening News, acknowledges a steep decline in public trust toward legacy media and pledges to put viewers first. He promises transparency about sources and methods, to correct mistakes openly, and to amplify a wide range of voices. The new program premieres January 5 at 6:30 p.m. local time and will be available to stream on CBSNews.com, Paramount+ and YouTube.
Tony Dokoupil: "Don't Just Trust Me — Make Me Earn It" — His Pledge as CBS Evening News Anchor
Tony Dokoupil, preparing to take the anchor chair of the CBS Evening News, acknowledges a broad decline in public trust toward legacy media and issues a direct pledge to viewers: Don't just trust me — make me earn it.
Drawing on more than two decades of reporting across the United States, Dokoupil says he has heard that distrust firsthand — from small towns to big cities. He points to moments when the press missed key angles or prioritized elite analysis over the everyday experience: past debates about NAFTA and the Iraq War, and more recent controversies including Hillary Clinton's emails, Russiagate, COVID lockdowns, concerns about Hunter Biden's laptop and questions about the president's fitness for office.
His promise is clear: audiences come first — not advertisers, not politicians, not corporate agendas. That explicitly includes the corporate owners of CBS. Dokoupil pledges to report with transparency: to explain what he knows, when he knows it and how he learned it. He also vows to admit errors when they happen, to seek out voices across the political and social spectrum, and to hold everyone in public life to the same standard.
"I report for you. Hold me to it."
Premiere Details: The new CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil premieres on January 5. Watch live at 6:30 p.m. local time on CBS. Catch the re-air on CBS News 24/7 at 10:00 p.m. ET, or stream the show on demand later each night at CBSNews.com, on Paramount+ and on the CBS Evening News YouTube channel.
Why This Matters
Dokoupil frames his anchor role as an opportunity to rebuild trust by prioritizing clarity, accountability and direct engagement with viewers. His approach highlights a broader industry challenge: restoring credibility by balancing expert analysis with the lived experiences of ordinary Americans.
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