Tony Dokoupil (born December 24, 1980) is an American broadcast journalist and author. Since 2019, Dokoupil has co-hosted CBS's morning program CBS Mornings. Before joining the network in 2016, Dokoupil was a news correspondent for NBCNews and MSNBC and a writer at Newsweek and The Daily Beast.

Tony Dokoupil
Born (1980-12-24) December 24, 1980 (age 43)
Alma materGeorge Washington University
Columbia University
Occupation(s)Journalist and television presenter
EmployerCBS
Known forCBS Mornings
Spouse
(m. 2017)
Children4

Early life

Dokoupil was born in Connecticut on December 24, 1980. He is of Czech descent.[2][3] His mother, Ann, worked as a teacher, while his father, Anthony, was a marijuana dealer. Growing up, Dokoupil was told of his father's involvement in real estate, which was a front.[4][5] His family relocated to Miami shortly after he was born.[6] Dokoupil and his mother relocated back to Maryland when he was six,[4] where he attended Severna Park High School.[7] He later studied business at George Washington University, graduating first in his class, and pursued media studies at Columbia University.[3][8] He played baseball at George Washington University. In 2000, he was an outfielder for the Bethesda Big Train in the Clark Griffith Collegiate Baseball League.

Career

From 2007 to 2013, Dokoupil was a senior writer at Newsweek magazine and the website The Daily Beast.[9] In September 2013, he joined NBC News as a senior writer.[10] He released a memoir titled The Last Pirate: A Father, His Son, and the Golden Age of Marijuana on April 1, 2014.[11] He later became a reporter on MSNBC.[3]

Following his departure from NBC News and MSNBC, Dokoupil joined CBS News as a New York-based correspondent in August 2016.[9] On May 6, 2019, Dokoupil was named the new co-anchor of the morning program CBS This Morning;[12] He made his debut on May 20.[13] The program was renamed CBS Mornings in September 2021.[14] Dokoupil and Adriana Diaz began hosting a new third hour of CBS Mornings, called CBS Mornings Plus, in September 2024. The move followed other broadcast networks expanding their morning shows in previous years.[15] In October 2024, the New York Times described Dokoupil as a rising star at the network.[16]

On September 30, 2024, Dokoupil discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with author Ta-Nehisi Coates during the latter's appearance on CBS Mornings to promote the book The Message. Dokoupil implied that the book "reads like the work of an extremist" and questioned Coates about Coates's view regarding Israel's right to exist. Some CBS staffers were angered by the interview and CBS executive Adrienne Roarke said that an internal review found that it did not meet network standards.[17][18][19] Dokoupil was defended by Paramount chair Shari Redstone and other CBS staffers, including chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford, who said that a journalist is obliged to ask tough questions when interviewing someone presenting a one-sided view.[20][21][22]

Personal life

Dokoupil has two children with his ex-wife, who live in Israel.[23][24][25][26] Dokoupil married fellow broadcast journalist Katy Tur in October 2017;[27] they have two children together.[28] After the birth of the youngest child, Dokoupil publicly announced that he had undergone a vasectomy, and urged other men to consider it rather than putting the onus on a female significant other.[23]

In 2014, Dokoupil wrote about his conversion to Judaism.[29]

References

  1. ^ "2002 BASEBALL ROSTER". CBS GW Sports. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  2. ^ "The surprising result of a son's search for his father". CBS News. March 13, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Storey, Kate (May 29, 2019). "How Tony Dokoupil Reached the CBS This Morning Anchor Desk". Esquire. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Minzesheimer, Bob (April 9, 2014). "A son tries to understand his drug dealer dad". USA Today. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  5. ^ "Son Of A Secret Smuggler Digs Up The Truth About His Dad". NPR. March 31, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  6. ^ Dokoupil, Tony (July 31, 2009). "My Father the Drug Dealer". Newsweek. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  7. ^ Scherr, Rich (June 7, 1999). "Dokoupil's big swing makes dream come true; Severna Park senior's HR helps South in Crown game". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  8. ^ Chaney, Jen. "Review: 'The Last Pirate: A Father, His Son, and the Golden Age of Marijuana' by Tony Dokoupil". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  9. ^ a b de Moraes, Lisa (July 6, 2016). "Tony Dokoupil Hired As Correspondent by CBS News". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  10. ^ Calderone, Michael (June 17, 2013). "Tony Dokoupil Joins NBC News Digital As Senior Writer". HuffPost. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  11. ^ Dokoupil, Tony (2014). The Last Pirate: A Father, His Son, and the Golden Age of Marijuana. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0385533461.
  12. ^ Iannucci, Rebecca (May 6, 2019). "CBS This Morning Confirms New Anchor Lineup, Norah O'Donnell to Take Over Evening News This Summer — Watch". TVLine. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  13. ^ Barr, Jeremy (October 23, 2019). "Tony Dokoupil Is Getting the Hang of Morning Television". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  14. ^ Battaglio, Stephen (August 31, 2021). "'CBS This Morning' will have a new name starting Sept. 7". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  15. ^ Johnson, Ted (September 4, 2024). "Tony Dokoupil and Adriana Diaz To Co-Host Third Hour Of 'CBS Mornings'". Deadline. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  16. ^ "CBS Rebukes Anchor Over Tense Interview With Ta-Nehisi Coates". New York Times. October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  17. ^ Sommer, Will (October 1, 2024). "Ta-Nehisi Coates and Tony Dokoupil sharpen morning TV with Israel debate". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 3, 2024. The cozy world of morning television was stirred up Monday by an unusually tense and substantive discussion of a volatile issue, between author Ta-Nehisi Coates and "CBS Mornings" host Tony Dokoupil. The subjects: Israel and the Palestinian people. Coates appeared on the CBS morning show to promote his new book, "The Message," which includes a section about Coates's trip to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and how this experience informs his claim of "apartheid" in Israel. Dokoupil suggested that Coates's book reads like the work of an extremist.
  18. ^ Steinberg, Brian (October 7, 2024). "'CBS News' Says Interview With Ta-Nehisi Coates and Tony Dokoupil 'Did Not Meet Editorial Standards'". Variety. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  19. ^ Barr, Jeremy (October 7, 2024). "CBS News exec says Ta-Nehisi Coates interview didn't meet standards". The Washington Post.
  20. ^ "CBS News won't discipline host after controversial Ta-Nehisi Coates interview about Israel". Los Angeles Times. October 8, 2024.
  21. ^ "When is an interview too tough? CBS News grappling with question after Dokoupil interview". The Associated Press. October 10, 2024.
  22. ^ "Shari Redstone Backs Tony Dokoupil Amid Fallout Over CBS' Ta-Nehisi Coates Interview". The Hollywood Reporter. October 9, 2024.
  23. ^ a b "He's Got Balls: CBS' Tony Dokoupil Reveals He Got Vasectomy". The Daily Beast. December 4, 2022.
  24. ^ "Drew Barrymore Joins Lineup of CBS This Morning Celebrity Guest Co-Hosts for Tony Dokoupil's Paternity Leave". People.com.
  25. ^ Katz, A. J. (October 9, 2023). "CBS Mornings Co-Host Tony Dokoupil Has 2 Children and Ex-Wife Living in Israel: 'They Are Safe'".
  26. ^ Schrobsdorff, Susanna (April 4, 2014). "My Father Went To Jail For Dealing Weed... and I Would Keep Him There". Time. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  27. ^ Mizoguchi, Karen (April 16, 2019). "MSNBC Live's Katy Tur Welcomes Son Theodore with Husband Tony Dokoupil — See His First Photo". People. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  28. ^ Mastrangelo, Dominick (May 17, 2021). "Katy Tur announces birth of second child". The Hill. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  29. ^ Dokoupil, Tony (April 10, 2014). "My Adult Circumcision". The New Republic. Retrieved October 1, 2024.