Gayle King on CBS controversy: ‘Sometimes, you have hard conversations on television’
Gayle King described the controversial “CBS Mornings” interview with author and activist Ta-Nehisi Coates as a “learning” experience while speaking on a panel at the Paley Center in Manhattan on Tuesday night.
King, who attended the panel with fellow anchors Nate Burleson and Tony Dokoupil, as well as featured host Vladimir Duthiers and the show’s executive producer Shawna Thomas, said they would not “shy away from hard conversations,” but acknowledged they should be mindful of how they approach “hot-button issues,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.
“Life is hard. The news is hard. Sometimes, you have hard conversations on television,” King said.
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“We know that it comes with a great responsibility. And we’re mindful of that,” she added. “Certain topics you know are just hot-button issues. You have to be very careful about how you ask the questions, how the questions are received. I think we don’t shy away from hard conversations, either. So, I think it’s been a learning thing for everybody.”
CBS has been embroiled in turmoil this month amid multiple controversies.
Dokoupil faced internal uproar following an interview in which he was accused by colleagues of being too tough on Coates’ anti-Israel views. The Jewish CBS News anchor irked liberal colleagues by bluntly stating that Coates’ book read like something you would find in “the backpack of an extremist.”
Dokoupil then pressed Coates on whether he believes Israel has the right to exist. The book is heavily anti-Israel and has been criticized for omitting significant context about Palestinian terrorism and the Jewish state’s extraordinary security situation.
CBS leadership reassured offended staff members that following a review, they had concluded that the interview did not meet the company’s “editorial standards,” the Free Press reported, which obtained audio of a company staff meeting.
During the panel conversation, Thomas said there have been many “hard” conversations, both internally and externally, about the interview, which they have “learned a lot from.”
“I’m hoping those conversations make us better journalists and better listeners,” she said.
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Dokoupil eventually expressed regret for the interview causing tumult with the network’s foreign correspondents, but not for his line of questioning. Paramount Global chair Shari Redstone, who oversees CBS’ parent company, defended Dokoupil following the interview, saying he had done a good job.
Nate Burleson, Executive Producer Shawna Thomas, Vladimir Duthiers, Gayle King, Lisa Ling and Tony Dokoupi attend “CBS Mornings” during PaleyFest 2024 at The Paley Museum on October 22, 2024, in New York City. (Getty Images)
The network also sparked confusion this month when it aired two different answers to the same question about Israel in its “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris.
The original clip from the Democratic nominee first aired on “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
CBS is accused of editing a clip of Harris that made her “word salad” answer, according to critics, sound more succinct and coherent. Although, its defenders have said the changes were simply because of time constraints.
Former President Trump described the “60 Minutes” edit of Harris as an “unprecedented scandal” and called for CBS’ broadcasting license to be revoked.
After weeks of staying silent despite growing criticism over the interview, CBS published a statement Sunday evening addressing the outrage that ensued airing the two different answers to the same questions.
CBS News’ statement said Trump’s claim that “deceitful editing” was used is “false,” and explained that producers used a “more succinct” portion of Harris’ answer. The defiant statement defending the edit fell flat with critics, who have ramped up calls for the network to release an unedited transcript.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to CBS News for comment.
Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.
