Overview
- Dokoupil’s start was moved up Saturday to cover the U.S. operation in Venezuela, anchored by a lengthy interview with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- His official Jan. 5 broadcast featured a prolonged transition snafu with several seconds of dead air, prompting his on‑air admission, “First day, big problems here.”
- The debut drew rapid online criticism and mockery, with some viewers and media watchers faulting new leadership for production confusion.
- Positioning himself as prioritizing “the average American,” Dokoupil pledged to be “more accountable and more transparent than” Walter Cronkite, a boast that drew public pushback.
- Inside the newsroom, Weiss’s move to pull a vetted 60 Minutes report and plans for a private‑jet promotional tour have fueled staff unrest, and the multi‑city relaunch has been delayed.