Katie Couric heads to CBS
Sign of the Apocalypse #30 at The Reaction:
According to The Washington Post‘s Howard Kurtz, long-time Today Show co-host Katie Couric is set to take over the CBS Evening News from Bob Schieffer. An announcement is expected this week.
Why is this a SOTA? Not because of Couric herself, although I don’t think she’s the right person to take over a nightly network news broadcast (although, in terms of ratings, her popularity may help her lead the show out of the basement). No, it’s that this isn’t about the news, nor about broadcasting integrity or excellence. It’s about entertainment. It’s Network. We’ve known this all along, of course, but now it’s just so transparent. And so grotesque. Consider this: “Couric’s pending departure has been the focus of intense media speculation, both because of her celebrity and the historic nature of the move.”
Can Couric report the news with the appropriate gravitas? Perhaps, but she’s a morning-show host, not an anchor (in the more traditional sense of that term). Does that even matter anymore? Maybe not. The era of Cronkite and Chancellor — even the era of Brokaw, Rather, and Jennings — is over. Is she enough of a journalist? Maybe not. But, again, it’s not at all clear that an anchor even needs that sort of experience anymore. Besides, even Brokaw hosted Today.
Other than her celebrity, which is what this is all about, is this “historic”? Well, it’s different. No woman has ever hosted a nightly network news broadcast by herself. Fair enough. But then why not hire Couric’s possible replacement at Today, Meredith Vieira, currently co-host of The View? She’s a former 60 Minutes correspondent “with deep roots in network news”. Well, because she’s not enough of a celebrity, because she’s not a celebrity of Couric’s caliber.
Remember: This isn’t about the news and the reporting thereof. And it’s certainly not about journalism. It’s about ratings. It’s about the show. It’s about money. CBS has lagged in third place for a long time. Couric — who is expected to make even more than the $15-16 million she makes at NBC (there’s another SOTA for another time) — may change that.
Good for Katie Couric, but still a Sign of the Apocalypse.
7 Responses to “Katie Couric heads to CBS”
I didn’t watch it much before schieffer. I watch it occasionally now. Once Couric takes over, I’ll probably stop watching again. They’ve gone the way of fox/cnn/msnbc. Get someone good looking to read to the viewers, just wonderful.
I agree with you about Katie Couric. I think she has become too much of a celebrity diva instead of a serious news reporter. What is happening? I am a writer for Beauty Secrets 101 and just posted an article about Katie. She’s had an interesting career, and I don’t know if I would have chosen to leave Today if I was her.
Sharon
Speaking of signs of the apocalpyse, what do you make of this?
Even anchors are journalists, but I doubt Couric could write an article with any deep though, or dare tackle anything important fearing her image would be sullied. She should stick to fluff since it’s all shes good at.
At most, she should stick to long-format reporting, which she has some exerience of doing. This isn’t a gender issue, it’s a professionalism one. I wouldn’t want, say, Pat O’Brien doing the evening news either. The point is that Brokaw, for example, brought a long career of serious journalism with him to the anchor desk. Couric doesn’t.
Yes, Robert, that may very well be a SOTA. Thanks for the heads-up. I’m always looking for new ones.
How are you preparing?
http://www.theapocalypseiscoming.com/
PING:
TITLE: Hasta La Vista, “Today” (Video)
BLOG NAME: The Political Pit Bull
Click to Download (.wmv) This morning, Katie Couric made it official: she’s leaving NBC’s Today to host the CBS Evening News and report for 60 Minutes: On her 15th anniversary on “Today,” Katie Couric told viewers Wednesday she’s leaving…