CBS Evening News Sparks Fierce Debate With 5 Principles Declaration

CBS News kicked up a fierce debate on Friday when it released a series of promotional posts on social media, laying out its 5 core values ahead of Tony Dokoupil’s CBS Evening News debut on Monday.

Dokoupil released a clip on Thursday in which he slammed legacy media and acknowledged “people don’t trust us like they used to.”

“The point is that on too many stories the press 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 said during the lengthy clip, adding:

I know this because, at certain points, I have been you. I have felt that way too. I have felt like what I was seeing and hearing on the news didn’t reflect what I was seeing and hearing in my own life. And that the most urgent questions simply weren’t being asked.

Dokoupil went on to vow to earn the audience’s trust and defy his corporate owners if need be in the pursuit of truth. Dokoupil was chosen by CBS News’s new editor in chief, Bari Weiss, to fill the coveted anchor chair.

His show launches with 5 new principles:

1. We work for you. That means you come first. Not our advertisers. Not politicians. Not corporate interests, including the corporate owners of CBS News.

2. We report on the world as it is. We’ll be honest and direct with you. That means no weasel words or padded landings. We’ll tell you what we know, when we know it. Well update our reporting when we uncover new facts. And we’ll admit when we get it wrong.

3. We respect you. We believe that our fellow Americans are smart and discerning. It’s our job to present you with the fullest picture — and the strongest voices on all sides of an issue. We trust you to make up your own minds, and to make the decisions that are best for you, your families and your communities.

4. We love America. And we make no apologies for saying so. Our foundational values of liberty, equality and the rule of law make us the last best hope on Earth. We also believe in Franklin’s famous line about America as a republic — if we can keep it. We aim to do our part every night: One way to think about our show is as a daily conversation about exactly where we are as a country and where we are going.

5. We respect tradition, but we also believe in the future. We embrace the tools that allow us to reach you where you are. Some of you will watch this show on linear television. Others will increasingly watch it on social media. What we can guarantee is that the tools will continue to change — but some things never will. One of those things is honest journalism.

The 4th principle on the list quickly drew a heated reaction, with many on the left accusing the network of giving up objectivity and catering to the right.

Fox Business correspondent Charlie Gasparino quipped, “The PSAs that Trump got for his settlement with @CBSNews gave begun.”

Below are some additional reactions:

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