Bari Weiss Helped Cause Tony Dokoupil’s Viral Teleprompter Gaffe by Tinkering With Script Minutes Before CBS Debut: NYT

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Tony Dokoupil’s debut as anchor of the CBS Evening News got off to a rocky start on Jan. 5 when a teleprompter snafu led to an awkward 19-second sequence, as Dokoupil was unsure which of two stories he was meant to be covering. And according to new reporting out Tuesday, Bari Weiss herself actually helped cause the brutal gaffe.

In a feature published by The New York Times on Tuesday, it was revealed that Weiss — the editor-in-chief of CBS News — personally tinkered with Dokoupil’s script right before showtime.

The Times‘ Michael Grynbaum and Ben Mullin wrote:

Mr. Dokoupil’s debut weeknight telecast on Jan. 5 was marred by a teleprompter issue that left the anchor grasping for words and shaking his head with frustration in front of millions of live viewers. “First night, big problems here,” he conceded. The blunder occurred in part because Ms. Weiss and her aides were rewriting the “Evening News” script up until minutes before the 6:30 p.m. airtime, three people with knowledge of the events said.

The episode was one of several incidents which have highlighted what has been a difficult start for Weiss at CBS. Weiss came under fire, internally and externally, for postponing a 60 Minutes segment titled “Inside CECOT,” which took a critical look at the Trump administration sending 252 Venezuelan migrants to a high-security El Salvadoran prison. She has also failed in her pursuit of landing high-profile talent locked into long-term contracts with their current networks. And a town hall with Erika Kirk — moderated by Weiss — hardly proved to be a ratings magnet.

The Times piece added that Weiss has been grousing about the public criticism she has come under for some of her early moves.

“Privately, Ms. Weiss has been deeply frustrated by the negative reaction to her decisions, and has blamed some subordinates for not stanching the criticism, three people familiar with internal discussions said,” reported Grynbaum and Mullin.

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