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Katie Couric Calls Her Critics "Unforgiving," "Primal"
Katie Couric by Andrew Eccles/CBS
In a sitdown with New York Magazine, Katie Couric admits to having days "when I'm like, 'Oh my god, what did I do?'" with regards to the cold reception given her CBS Evening News cast. That said, she takes issue with those who find a certain glee in her woes. "I've gone through a bit of a feeding frenzy and there's blood in the water. This person who's been successful isn't so great, and finally she's being put in her place.... That kind of mentality [is] fairly primal."
Other choice sound bites from the in-depth profile:
• "[That] I'm not a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown... it's probably disappointing to some people, because in the arc of the story, that's what they want to see."
• "I underestimated the feeling that some might have that I was a morning-show personality and not a credible news person. Which I, quite frankly, think is patently unfair."
• On the topic of peers who have slammed her "anonymously" in the press (no less than Bob Schieffer and Lesley Stahl are said to have sourced a Philadelphia Inquirer story deeming the new News "a disaster"): "People getting their jollies from seeing it in print is so creepy and weird to me. If you're so unhappy, get another job!"
• "If it turns out it wasn't a perfect fit, I'll do something else that's really exciting and fulfilling for me."
POLL: Should Katie Couric leave Evening News? Vote here.
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Jul 9, 2007 9:52 AM
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Poor Katie. At least give her a chance, she can't be that bad, right?
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Jul 9, 2007 10:23 AM
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Actually, her newscast isn't bad at all. When I remember to look at network news on the TV (as opposed to catching up on the computer), she's the one I'll tune in to see.
I think people get unsettled by change and want their old, comfortable faces feeding them the day's negativity. I think we may be trying to kill the messenger here.
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Jul 9, 2007 10:41 AM
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I dunno, this whole thing comes off a little too sexist to me.
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Jul 9, 2007 10:45 AM
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You're probably right, Wycked1. But, everyone can't be good ol' Uncle Walter.
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Jul 9, 2007 11:06 AM
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Let me say for the record that I liked Katie when she was with NBC, but I thought the move to CBS was a bad decision on her part because people might not take her seriously as a "news" anchor. Plus, CBS has been playing catch up with the other networks with the evening news programs.
That said, she's doing okay in her job, but I never expected her presence would result in CBS surpassing the other networks in the ratings. If that's what she and the CBS executives expected, they're more foolish and naive than we realize.
I would not be surprised if, after two more years, she decides that this isn't the perfect fit for her talents.
Can someone refresh my memory? Didn't she have an opportunity to do the evening news for NBC?
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Jul 9, 2007 11:11 AM
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I think the problem with Katie's newscast is that it is produced by the same person who used to be in charge of programming for MSNBC -- just look at that network's ratings and you'll see that CBS picked the wrong person to "revitalize" its evening newscast.
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Jul 9, 2007 11:15 AM
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I just don't understand why she wouldn't be credible. News is news. The words might be slightly different and the person saying those words might look a little different, but when it comes down to it...shouldn't it all be the same anyway???
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Jul 9, 2007 11:22 AM
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News is news. The words might be slightly different and the person saying those words might look a little different, but when it comes down to it...shouldn't it all be the same anyway???
Well, I don't know if I'd go that far. Based on what you said, sounds as if you wouldn't care if the news program you watched regularly was delivered by Elmo...
It does make a difference who the person (anchor) is ...
A perfect example is Anderson Cooper. It took him more than a year for people to take him seriously on CNN after he hosted "The Mole."
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Jul 9, 2007 11:33 AM
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I think Katie and CBS over-estimated herself when she moved to CBS. Charles Gibson on ABC was a new face too but he was able to take over Brian Williams as the first place, not that Brian is a weak competitor!
It is a lesson for Katie and CBS!!
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Jul 9, 2007 11:54 AM
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She tried to change too much, too fast...not least of which was her sign-on "Hi everybody".
Add to that, that she virtually just ran a summary of the day's headlines then did these long, soft news feature pieces, it was hard for anyone seriously to believe that she understood the difference between news in the morning and the evening news.
I think it would have been much less jolting if she'd gradually added things over time (the commentary pieces, maybe a long feature soft news piece once a week), and had found a decent tailor (her suits are ill-fitted, making her look dumpy, or like a cheerleader playing grown-up), and, for crying out loud, sign on with a bit more seriousness. Maybe she could consult with Martha Stewart; even when she's doing fluff that woman has gravitas. Couldn't hurt.
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Jul 9, 2007 11:58 AM
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All three major networks replaced anchors at about the same time. Why aren't we seeing Bryan Williams getting slammed for loosing NBC's rating lead to ABC. In terms of network inpact, that sounds like a bigger blow than CBS staying in 3rd place, as it has been for a long time. Maybe if Williams was a womqn it would be a bigger story.
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Jul 9, 2007 12:00 PM
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I think Katie and CBS underestimated the "vibe" that news anchors carry with them.
For example, I cannot take Julie Chen seriously when she is doing a news piece because all I can see in my mind's eye is her sitting in the ridiculous Big Brother house. Spider-Man made a good point about Anderson Cooper and The Mole.
I think Charlie Gibson had an easier transition because on GMA he was always the more serious "dad" of the show. I find it more comforting to hear bad news from him. (If ya know what I mean.)
I also think the Suits may have underestimated how many people find Couric annoying (count me as one) and who could only take her when tempered with Matt Lauer. (I couldn't take her even then.)
The real winner in this situation? Meredith Viera. She jumped ship before The View went up in flames and landed on the top morning news show. Congrats to Meredith for excellent timing.
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Jul 9, 2007 12:32 PM
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Count me among those who simply find her voice grating. I couldn't even stomach her with Matt Lauer. I turned off the CBS Evening News when Rather proved he'd forgotten how to tell an objective, verified story; putting on the Most Annoying TV Reporter of the last 15 years was never going to lure me back.
It's got nothing to do with Katie being a woman.
It's that she's insupportably grating!
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Jul 9, 2007 1:32 PM
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What about her drunken brawl with Julie Chen after Chen called her "fat" at Eva Longoria's wedding?
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Jul 9, 2007 1:33 PM
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