Don Lemon has once again called out CBS News leadership, this time slamming the network for forcing an anchor to answer to the company’s diversity and inclusion (DEI) unit after a heated interview.

As reported by Fox News, CBS faced backlash after "CBS Mornings" anchor Tony Dokoupil pressed anti-Israel author Ta-Nehisi Coates on the bias in his latest book, "The Message," which touches on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

During the interview, Dokoupil asked Coates whether Israel had "a right to exist," a question that apparently rattled some of his CBS colleagues.

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According to The New York Times, several staff members complained to higher-ups about Dokoupil’s tough line of questioning. In response, CBS required Dokoupil to meet with both the network’s editorial standards team and the Race and Culture Unit to address the concerns raised by his coworkers.

In response to this corporate handling, Lemon didn't hold back. On his YouTube show, he accused CBS of mishandling the situation by bowing to internal pressure rather than defending Dokoupil’s journalistic integrity.

“CBS should have said, ‘This is good journalism,’” Lemon argued, suggesting that the network should have celebrated the interview as an example of sparking important conversations. "Instead of, like, embarrassing their anchor and doing a whole DEI, you know, thing."

Don Lemon argues CBS News should *not* have done the Struggle Sessions embarrassing Tony Dokoupil for his Ta-Nehisi Coates interview:

"CBS should have responded, saying this is good journalism and this will spark another conversation and this is what we do at CBS News instead… pic.twitter.com/3Cm1LLOXu1

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 15, 2024

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Lemon, a former CNN anchor, criticized CBS for not addressing the issue openly and for letting the staff complaints dominate the narrative. He believes the network missed a chance to foster an open dialogue on the matter.

“Why are the inmates running the asylum?” Lemon quipped, highlighting his frustration with how CBS leadership handled the controversy.

He continued, saying that messy conversations, especially those on complex issues like Israel-Palestine, are what journalism is all about.

“It’s not supposed to be perfect. Sometimes it’s messy, and in those messy conversations, you often reach a consensus,” Lemon stated. He warned that over-censorship leads to stifled dialogue, leaving no room for honest debate. “Stay out of it and let the journalists do the journalism,” he added.

Image Credit: © Jack Gruber-USA TODAY

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