CBS News has tapped Tony Dokoupil to helm the CBS Evening News, signaling a bold push to challenge ABC’s longtime frontrunner, led by David Muir, on one of television’s most-watched flagship programs.
Dokoupil, who has been a familiar face on CBS Mornings since 2019, will begin his new role on January 5, 2026. He steps into a vacancy created by the departures of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois in recent months.
This move marks the first major hiring under Bari Weiss, the Free Press founder who joined CBS News as editor-in-chief this fall following Paramount’s acquisition of the network. Weiss described Dokoupil as a journalist who can rebuild trust in a media landscape many viewers feel has drifted away from credible reporting. She emphasized his commitment to traditional newsroom values — posing tough questions, pursuing facts wherever they lead, and holding those in power accountable.
Dokoupil faces a significant challenge: CBS Evening News has struggled to match ABC’s World News Tonight in audience share, often ranking third among the evening network news programs and drawing roughly half the viewers of ABC’s program this year.
