Is Sexism Katie Couric's Problem?
The ABC World News with Charles Gibson and NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams are locked in a tight race for No. 1.
The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric trails far behind. as it did when Dan Rather was there.
TV news pro Jeff Greenfield, who will be joining the Evening News, says it’s sexism.
My first reaction was to reject that claim. But as I thought about it, I realized I had given Katie only one look. Then I settled on Williams and only recently moved to Gibson, with lots of going back and forth.
But I haven’t given Couric, who I liked on the morning Today show, a second chance. I think the problem is Katie. I had and have no trouble, for example, with Diane Sawyer. But I’m not sure. What about you?
posted by Joe Zelnik @ 3:06 PM
4 Comments
4 Comments:
As a woman, as the mother of a (very successful) professional daughter, and as an avid viewer of BBC World (which features the fine news anchor Katty Kay), sexism is certainly not my problem with Katie Couric. My problem is with her approach to and delivery of news. Like Dan Rather before her, whom I also could not stomach, she uses the anchor desk as her personal bully pulpit to champion her causes and condemn her opposition. She got away with her bias on "Today" because her news pieces were mixed up with the fluff that let her hide behind her (well cultivated) cutesy-bubbly personality and toothy smile. Without the fluff, we are left with her strong, controversial opinions, her hard-edged arrogance, and her elitism. You may still wonder about her low ratings -- after all, this persona works for Bill O'Reilly and other men in the business; why not for Katie? The answer: Those men never pretended to be anything else. With Katie, she of the famous cheerleader persona, people feel betrayed -- and disappointed. Perhaps even insulted.
Very well said anonymous...and Joe, I too have wondered what it is about Katie. For me, she never had the appeal that most talk about. I didn’t fall for the “popular girl” image. I saw her as a bully. Many times I felt she was rude and disrespectful, full of herself. Fake and degrading. I really didn't buy into the "goofing" off and dumbing down of our news. Was this a 'news hour" or "ET"? Katie’s concept has failed.
You mention Diane Sawyer, well, just this morning; I was switching between all three major channels. Diane is professional, intelligent, real and elegant. Diane is engaging, I listen when she speaks. Katie...I just want to shut her off, and so does most of America, I guess. T, the calm one.
There's something about Katie...let's see, what could it be. Oh, yes, that's it--she's as phony as a three dollar bill! It just comes through. I would put as much stock in what she reports as in what David Letterman does. And he's paid to present made-up stories.
Now, if you were watching Bill, you wouldn't have this dilemma. He shares the program with a series of vibrant, powerful woman.
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