*CBS News issued a statement defending CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King concerning her participation in the controversial September 30 interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates.
We reported earlier that CBS executives allegedly reprimanded morning show anchor Tony Dokoupil for his tough questioning of the author regarding Coates’ pro-Palestinian stance amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. This incident caused concern among staff about the network’s commitment to journalistic integrity, Puck News and Bari Weiss’ Free Press reported. CBS News leaders Wendy McMahon and Adrienne Roark noted that Dokoupil displayed bias during the interview, which aired last week. They stated that the discussion failed to adhere to the network’s standards for neutrality.
During the tense six-minute segment, King remained mostly silent as Dokoupil pressed Coates about his views on Palestine from his latest book, “The Message.” The Daily Beast reports that the network explained that King’s advance notice to Coates about specific questions was part of her job responsibilities.
“Gayle King is one of the most respected journalists in America. She is known for her thorough preparation and note taking,” a CBS Mornings spokesperson said in a statement.
“She reads the books, consumes the content that will be discussed and extensively prepares for each interview on CBS Mornings. Engaging in pre-segment conversations with guests is a standard practice for any experienced host. Discussing a guest’s work ahead of time is a common approach to establish rapport,” the statement continued.
Meanwhile, Coates addressed the controversy last week on What Now? with Trevor Noah. While King attempted to steer the conversation, Ta-Nehisi pointed out that she only managed to ask one complete question at the end of the interview.
“Gayle King is a great journalist and a great interviewer,” Coates said. “Gayle came behind the stage before we went, and she had gone through the book. And I’m not saying she agreed with the book. She was like, ‘I want to ask you about this,’ ‘I want to ask you about that.’”
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: CBS Mornings Anchor Tony Dokoupil Criticized Over Heated Interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates About Israel-Hamas Conflict | Video
