The 3.8 IMDb score is a classic case of internet review-bombing. News shows in the 2020s are magnets for political frustration, but if you actually watch the show, it's one of the most balanced morning options available. Gayle King is a master interviewer, and Tony Dokoupil handles the data-heavy segments with a clarity that's rare in broadcast news.
What makes this specific iteration (post-2021) work for families is the addition of Nate Burleson. Coming from an NFL background, he brings a different kind of 'cool' to the desk. He isn't a career news anchor, and that makes him more relatable to kids and teens who might find the 'serious journalist' archetype a bit alienating.
The Literacy Angle
We talk a lot about kids needing to read more, but literacy is about more than just decoding words on a page. It's about knowing what those words mean in context. When CBS Mornings does a five-minute segment on inflation or climate change in Europe, they are handing your kid the keys to understanding more complex books and articles later. It’s passive learning at its best.
If you want to use the show intentionally, aim for the second hour. That’s when the 'Talk of the Table' segments happen, which are perfect for quick, low-stakes debates over cereal. It’s also when they run their best tech and lifestyle pieces, which are much more likely to hook a kid's interest than a segment on the debt ceiling.
