The Erroneous, Sexist Katie Couric Flap



Katie Couric is doing just fine.

Her anchoring of the CBS Evening News is as good as that by Charlie Gibson at ABC and Brian Williams at NBC, and sometimes better, as Ms. Couric allows viewers to be empathetic about many stories.

Peter Osnos wrote a piece [7/17] for The Century Foundation, wherein he suggests Ms. Couric should resign, and thus save face as it were:

http://www.tcf.org/list.asp?type=NC&pubid=1630

Mr. Osnos is a quitter apparently, and would hope others might emulate his loser attitude about the vicissitudes of the news business.

Katie Couric knows what the news business is all about – not news entirely, but style over substance, ratings, backbiting, jealousies, ego, hubris even, and sexist declamations when a woman presumes to be better than her colleagues.

(Harry Reasoner’s not-so-subtle skewering of Barbara Walters when she joined him as co-anchor was archetypal sexism.)

We who are news junkies admire Katie Couric, especially now, while she keeps a stiff upper lip as those around her slink away from support and cower behind the “bad ratings” rubric.

That CBS News is in third place is no big deal. Lots of CBS entertainment shows are in third place, and they don’t have an ounce of the cachet that Couric and her new newscasts have.

Ms. Couric is an aesthetic pleasure, and her professionalism remains intact no matter what content she’s forced to imbibe.

NBC’s Brian Williams is a nice guy, and it shows on-air. Charlie Gibson is a nice guy we’re told but his dismissive responses to some ABC reporters portends otherwise.

Ms. Couric is civilized, classy, sophisticated, and more importantly she exudes credibility. What’s not to like, or admire?

We who are in the news business, and those of us who are not, like Katie Couric. We like her newscasts, and we receive, almost every night, useful, practical information from her broadcasts.

That’s more than we can say for most cable news show, where the number of viewers are miniscule compared to what Ms. Couric and CBS garner.

So, take it easy Osnos, et alia. Couric can prevail, and will prevail, so long as her bosses don’t run for cover when fellow sexists get riled up over her stamina and grace under fire.