Who is Tony Dokoupil? All about new CBS Evening News anchor

CBS just revealed big changes: Tony Dokoupil, currently co-hosting CBS Mornings, will step into the anchor chair for CBS Evening News. The news broke on Wednesday, Dec 10, showing a clear move in how they're shaping their broadcast flow.

With sharp delivery and steady screen energy, Tony Dokoupil should shake things up at night, helping CBS connect better with early risers and those watching later in the day.

Earlier than shifting to CBS News, he worked in various roles at NBC News and MSNBC - currently called MS NOW - landing first as a top writer for NBC back in September 2013 before moving into on-air reporting for MSNBC. Between 2007 and 2013, his work popped up regularly in Newsweek along with The Daily Beast, as reported by Deadline.

Now only 44, Tony Dokoupil takes the spot as the youngest face among current big-name broadcast hosts, stepping into a scene where NBC just put Tom Llamas, age 46, in charge of Nightly News while ABC's World News Tonight, led by David Muir, who's 52, keeps leading the viewer rankings.

In his private life, Tony Dokoupil is the father of four kids. From an earlier marriage, he has two children living in Israel - and two more with his wife, fellow journalist Katy Tur, whom he married in October 2017. After their last baby was born, he admitted to having a vasectomy, pushing guys to step up when it comes to birth control instead of leaning only on women. On top of that, he talked openly about his conversion to Judaism back in 2014, marking a big shift in his journey.

Tony Dokoupil to helm CBS Evening News starting Jan. 5

CBS News is set for a major shake-up as correspondent and longtime co-host Tony Dokoupil, 44, takes over as main anchor starting Monday, Jan. 5, 2026 - his first solo shot at the desk. This shift comes early in editor-in-chief Bari Weiss's run at the top. Dokoupil said in a statement (via People):

"After 20 years in journalism, traveling through all 50 states and talking with people in hundreds of far-flung American places, I realize why a country this big needs a show this ambitious... The strength of our nation is that we benefit from fair reporting and the open discussion of all ideas. For more than 60 years, the Evening News has been a bedrock of that process. I'm honored to join a fearless team at this important moment, and with what I can promise is a commitment to trust and the plain truth."

Since 2019, Tony Dokoupil shared hosting duties on CBS Mornings alongside Gayle King and Nate Burleson; before that, he landed at CBS back in 2016 after building nearly twenty years of fieldwork across every U.S. state. He says truth-focused coverage matters - and stepping into the Evening News role feels like a privilege while pledging straight talk without fluff.

Network leaders point to his solid ethics and classic news roots, Weiss calling him key to regaining audience confidence, while CBS News president Tom Cibrowski stresses his realness, empathy, and guts.

CBS News just brought in Tony Dokoupil as their new main anchor - this makes six anchors in ten years, counting Scott Pelley, Jeff Glor, Norah O'Donnell, John Dickerson, and now Maurice DuBois, who recently announced his exit from CBS Morning News after less than a year on the job.

Not long before that, back in October, Dickerson revealed he'd be stepping away from CBS after sticking around for 16 years. At the same time, Dokoupil joined, they pulled Matt Gutman over from ABC News to serve as chief correspondent; he'll appear on both CBS Mornings and the evening news, as reported by People, sometimes filling in as host while also leading stories for 48 Hours, plus pitching pieces into 60 Minutes.

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