In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, MSNBC anchor Katy Tur and CBS This Morning co-host Tony Dokoupil found themselves thrust into an unprecedented challenge: delivering national news broadcasts from the unfinished basement of their New York City home while caring for their one-year-old son, Theodore “Teddy.” What began as a temporary adjustment quickly evolved into a months-long balancing act of professional demands, family life, and emotional resilience. As Tur reflected in a 2020 interview with People magazine, “Typically in a news story, you’re shuttling between the story and your world, but right now the story is the whole world and there’s no escape.” Their story highlights the adaptability required of journalists during a global crisis, offering a glimpse into the personal side of high-profile news personalities.

Transforming a Basement into a Dual News Hub

The shift to remote broadcasting happened abruptly as newsrooms shuttered to prevent the spread of the virus. Dokoupil, who began anchoring from home in late March 2020, described the change as sudden and surreal. “This happened incredibly suddenly,” he told Deadline, recalling how CBS crews swiftly set up a makeshift studio in the couple’s basement. What was once a storage space filled with boxes and unfinished walls became a functional broadcast center, complete with lighting rigs, cameras, and soundproofing hacks.

Tur joined him shortly after, with MSNBC installing her own setup in the same room. She humorously recounted the initial aesthetics in her People interview: “When they first put Tony’s set-up down there, they added some network news flair with a soft background, some pottery, fake flowers, and all that – the tricks you have to jazz up a background in network news. But if you just looked at a very clear photo of it without the soft background and showed Tony in his bright yellow Ikea chair, it looks like he was in a proof-of-life video.” The couple optimized the space for both shows, incorporating mattress pads for better acoustics—advice Tur sought from colleague Savannah Guthrie’s husband. “I called her and asked, ‘What exactly does Mike do, what do we need?’ And she had Mike send links to me about mattress pads I could buy on Bed Bath & Beyond to make the sound better in the basement,” Tur explained.

This transformation wasn’t just logistical; it symbolized the broader upheaval in journalism. As Tur noted, the basement doubled as Teddy’s play area, blurring the lines between work and home in ways they hadn’t anticipated.

The Daily Juggle: Parenthood Meets Prime-Time News

With Teddy toddling around, the couple’s days were a whirlwind of scripts, live segments, and childcare. They alternated roles as “anchor assistants,” printing scripts, adjusting lights, and handling interruptions. Tur shared a lighthearted anecdote about her enthusiasm waning quickly: “I was really excited to get up and print Tony’s scripts… The second day, I woke up on my alarm. The third day, I was so exhausted that I was worried that I was getting sick.” Dokoupil echoed the sentiment, emphasizing their teamwork in a CBS News segment: “We are still figuring it out. We both have a better appreciation for the job of anchor producer.”

Humorous mishaps became part of their routine. In a 2022 reflection on CBS Mornings, Tur revealed Dokoupil’s habit of using the bathroom with the door open during her broadcasts, adding levity to the chaos. “Katy anchored her show from the same room as her husband, Tony Dokoupil, who she says would use the bathroom with the door open during her broadcast,” the segment highlighted. Such moments underscored the unfiltered reality of working from home, where a child’s cry or a misplaced toy could disrupt a serious interview.

Despite the challenges, the setup fostered closeness. Tur confided, “In all honesty and without any snark, I looked over at him last night and I said, ‘I’m so happy I’m married to you. I can’t imagine getting through this with anybody else.’” Their partnership extended to celebrating milestones, like Teddy’s first steps, which Tur cherished amid the uncertainty.

The Emotional Toll of Reporting on a Crisis

Covering a pandemic while living through it took a heavy emotional toll. Tur described the constant immersion: “I’m on my phone all night responding to doctors or business owners… You’re just in constant communication with everybody about this story.” The lack of separation between work and home amplified the stress, as she grappled with anxiety for her family and community. “In the beginning, I found that it was really hard to [reconcile] how scared I was about the virus, my parents and my community, but also the economy and what it’s going to mean for all of us after this is all over,” Tur admitted.

For Teddy’s sake, she strived for normalcy. “Then looking at Teddy when he’d wake up and just seeing him smile and laugh, I found that I would just force myself to smile back at him because I didn’t want him to think that there was something wrong,” she said. Dokoupil shared similar sentiments, noting the blurred boundaries: “Our jobs are very demanding and consuming, so we oftentimes neglect our together time because of it. It’s nice to be home with him, but we are finding that we’re never really away from work now.”

Adapting and Thriving Amid Uncertainty

As weeks turned into months, Tur and Dokoupil embraced the chaos, turning it into a testament to resilience. Their basement broadcasts continued until studios reopened, but the experience left lasting lessons. “It was novel at first and I was excited,” Tur recalled of the early days, though exhaustion soon set in. By 2021, they welcomed their second child, Eloise, adding another layer to their family dynamic post-pandemic.

Their story resonates beyond journalism, illustrating how families worldwide adapted during the crisis. As Tur reflected, “That moment that I’ve heard so much about, where you have to hide everything because you don’t want to scare your kid, I felt that for the first time. Just the blissful ignorance that he’s able to live in is so far removed from the reality that I’m living in.”

In retrospect, from the vantage of 2025, Tur and Dokoupil’s pandemic journey exemplifies the power of partnership. “We both have a better appreciation for the job,” Dokoupil said, underscoring how they emerged stronger. For working parents everywhere, their tale is a reminder: amid global upheaval, teamwork and laughter can anchor even the stormiest days. As they continue their careers—Tur at MSNBC and Dokoupil at CBS—the basement era remains a pivotal chapter, blending professional grit with personal growth.