AceShowbiz - During a panel at PaleyFest New York, CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King acknowledged that the show's recent interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates had been "a learning experience" for the team.

"Life is hard. The news is hard. Sometimes, you have hard conversations on television," King said. "We know that it comes with a great responsibility, and certain topics you know are just hot-button issues. You have to be very careful about how you ask the questions and how the questions are received."

Executive producer Shawna Thomas echoed this sentiment, stating that there have been "a lot of conversations" since the interview, both internally and externally. "I think we have learned a lot from those, and we have more to learn," she said.

Co-host Tony Dokoupil, who conducted the interview with Coates, did not directly address the controversy that ensued. However, he and his co-hosts emphasized the importance of not shying away from difficult conversations on the show. "We don't shy away from hard conversations either," King said.

The Coates interview sparked a debate within CBS News and parent Paramount Global about editorial standards and perceptions of bias. Paramount Global chair Shari Redstone defended Dokoupil's questioning, while CBS News executives later stated that it did not meet their standards.

Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks emphasized the need for more "substantive" internal review of biases and "inconsistent treatment."

Despite the controversy, the CBS Mornings team maintained a positive and supportive atmosphere during the panel. The co-hosts expressed respect and friendship for one another and did not elaborate on the Coates interview beyond the brief responses from King and Thomas.