Gayle King is facing significant backlash following a heated interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates on “CBS Mornings.”
The September discussion became contentious when host Tony Dokoupil, who is Jewish, pressed Coates about a section in his new book, The Message, where he criticizes Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
Dokoupil questioned Coates on why the book omitted references to Israel’s adversaries, leading to a tense exchange that dominated the nearly seven-minute segment.
In a twist, Coates later revealed on the “What Now? with Trevor Noah” podcast that King had shared specific questions with him backstage before the interview.
This revelation has raised concerns among some media observers about potential breaches of journalistic ethics.
A former CBS reporter suggested that such practices could undermine CBS’s standards, sparking debates on whether the network would investigate King’s conduct.
Public reactions have been mixed.
While some fans have defended King’s capabilities as a journalist, others criticized her, with comments like:
“She’s no journalist. She’s Oprah’s friend who scored the gig because of it.”
A third individual sarcastically questioned the notion of King as a respected journalist.
Despite the criticism, Coates came to King’s defense during his podcast appearance, stating:
“Gayle King is a great journalist and a great interviewer.”
He acknowledged her preparation and expressed regret over the way Dokoupil conducted the interview, indicating that the exchange overshadowed King and co-host Nate Burleson’s contributions.
King, who graduated from the University of Maryland with a psychology degree, initially entered television as a production assistant at WJZ-TV in Baltimore.
Her relationship with Oprah Winfrey, who was an anchor at the time, helped propel her career.
She later served as a weekend anchor and reporter before landing her role at “CBS Mornings.”
As of now, King has not publicly commented on the backlash she is facing.
