Tony Dokoupil’s Marriage Reportedly Under Pressure Due To New CBS Role

Tony Dokoupil’s marriage is reportedly feeling the strain following his recent appointment as anchor of CBS Evening News.

The journalist stepped into the role earlier this month and has since faced intense pressure to perform as the program continues to struggle in the ratings. With expectations mounting, Dokoupil is said to be devoting more time to work, but is fully aware of the toll the demanding schedule is taking on his marriage.

Tony Dokoupil is married to fellow journalist Katy Tur, and the couple shares two children, Theodore and Eloise.

In the wake of Tony Dokoupil landing a new role as anchor of CBS Evening News, the veteran journalist appears busier than ever.

Dokoupil previously served as a host on the network’s morning show, but that workload is said to pale in comparison to the demands and pressures of his new position, which now appear to be putting a strain on his marriage.

“He’s working all the time,” a source close to Dokoupil said to Rob Shuter’s #ShuterScoop. “When he’s on the road, he’s never home. And when he is home, his phone never stops ringing.”

Much of the work pressure is said to stem from constant communication with CBS executives, who are reportedly doing everything they can to control the show’s narrative rather than allowing Dokoupil free rein in the role.

“There’s a lot of micromanaging,” a network source revealed. “Tony is under enormous scrutiny. Every editorial decision, every segment, every appearance — it’s relentless.”

In the early days after Dokoupil took on the role, he shared that his children, Theodore and Eloise, whom he shares with his wife Katy Tur, were excited about his new position.

The new role was initially meant to give him more morning family time with his kids, but amid plummeting ratings, that free time appears to have evaporated.

Now,  Dokoupil is seemingly forced to work harder to deliver results, and is well aware of the imbalance his work is causing in his marriage,

“He knows exactly what he’s missing,” one insider said. “That awareness makes it harder, not easier.”

Still, unless things ease at work, the strain on Dokoupil’s marriage may only worsen in the coming days.

“This is what happens when a job doesn’t end at the studio door,” one source further remarked. “The news never sleeps — and right now, neither does Tony’s marriage.”

In Dokoupil’s first full week in the new role, the program averaged just 4.17 million viewers, according to data from Nielsen. The data also noted that it was down 23 percent from the same week last year when the program was being hosted by Norah O’Donnell.

Furthermore, viewership among adults aged 25 to 54, the demographic most coveted by news advertisers, also dropped by 23 percent, another troubling trend that underscores the show’s ongoing struggles.

Unsurprisingly, reports have begun that network executives are reportedly considering replacing him in the coming days.

“People are already talking about who could replace him if this slump continues,” a source shared, per Rob Shuter’s #ShuterScoop. “There’s real concern that the audience isn’t buying what he’s selling.”

While it remains to be seen whether any changes will be made, Dokoupil will likely continue giving his best as long as he remains in the position.

Ahead of resuming the role, he told People Magazine that his main goal as the new anchor was to restore trust with his audience.

“The First Amendment guaranteed freedom of the press. It did not guarantee trust. It did not guarantee credibility. That’s something you have to earn,” the news anchor said.

Dokoupil continued, “Rebuilding that trust, earning it from the people who’ve given up on it, earning it back, that’s the biggest, most important mission I have.”

To Dokoupil, the best way to rebuild trust and credibility was to be completely genuine with listeners when delivering the news.

The journalist also told People that he intends to speak with various individuals regardless of their political beliefs.

He shared, “You tell people what you know, you tell them how you know it, when you get it wrong, or you’re not sure — you tell them that too — and you also bring people onto your show across the political spectrum, all sorts of people with all sorts of ideas.”