We wanted to personally applaud you for your interview last week with Ta-Nehisi Coates. As Bari Weiss of the Free Press put it: “the actual complaint is that Tony Dokoupil commits the sin of doing real journalism on morning TV.” We know that CBS’ public response muddied the takeaway of the interview, but we want to echo Weiss-the tenets of investigative journalism stand behind you, Shari Redstone-the controlling shareholder of CBS’s parent company Paramount Global stands behind you, and your fellow Jews stand behind you. Despite what it may feel in that studio, you were not wrong, and you are not alone.

We will first speak to your exemplary commitment to proper journalism: You vocalized your respect for Ta-Nehisi Coates and invited him to question his own hypocrisy and bias- facilitating a platform for open discussion- rather than attacking him, speaking over him, or letting him continue unchallenged. You found that magical middle ground, which is necessary, but oft elusive in investigative journalism.

Every informed Jew watching you and Ta-Nehisi Coates on Monday morning recognized that circular conversation- it was a microcosm of every conversation that Jews have attempted to have with Pro Palestine activists since Oct 7th. Coates relied on the same tropes every Pro-Palestine activist relies on: a double standard towards Israel, lies about systemic inequality in Israeli society, and the infantilization of Palestinian people as incapable victims. You challenged this bias and misinformation with respect, patience, and intelligence. In the face of Coates reverting to buzz words to avoid the tangible subtleties of reality, you demanded nuance and specifics. You skillfully honed in on the most rotten and core tenets of the Pro-Palestine movements’ philosophy, and challenged them on a public stage. The gentile audience needed to hear those challenges, and your Jewish audience needed to hear them uttered on a major American broadcast; seeing you push back-resolute-no trembling knees, made us feel less alone in this fight, and less crazy. You defended the humanity of Jews, Israelis, and Palestinians with your line of questioning- a balance many educated individuals seem to find impossible with this topic. You were our voice in his well-worn, but oft unpublicized conversation, and in doing so, you gave us inspiration and tools to use for our own roles in this fight for Jewish survival.

We also want to take note of the strength it must have taken you to respond with such poise. As Jews involved in the same conversations, we are familiar with physiological impacts these conversations have on our mind, body and soul. To others, the conversation is one of an obscure debate of ethics, to us, it questions pillars of our faith and our survival. Fight or flight reactions in the body is therefore only natural. However, that tension was unreadable in your poise and grace as you continued pressing Coates. We understand what a monumental effort and impressive act that was.

Even in your passing comments, you reiterated your familiarity with, and pride for your Jewishness to your national audience. When you very generously joked that Coates was “still invited to the high holidays” you invoked aspects which are integral to the Jewish faith but mostly unknown by the gentile world. You used the word “shul,” the Yiddish word for our house of worship that only practicing Jews are familiar with. In these small but significant choices, you chose again and again, to make it clear to Ta-Nehisi Coates, clear to every viewer at home that you stand with your Jewishness, and you stand up for it. It was a little surreal to see such casual comfort with the Jewish identity on a national broadcast.

You are on the frontlines in America’s war of misinformation against Israel and the Jewish people. You may feel isolated and restrained at your work environment, but we want you to know that we are all watching from home standing behind you, and proud of how you choose to represent Judaism and journalism in America. Thank you and keep fighting. You have lifted some of our load, we hope that this lifts some of yours.

Sincerely,

Reference:
https://www.thefp.com/p/fallout-cbs-tony-dokoupil-interview-ta-nehisi-coates