Katiemania!

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Media Issues

Finally, my friends, Katie Couric is coming to CBS. Rejoice! Now, I'm not expressing that sentiment because I'm excited about Couric's imminent arrival, though I am looking forward to watching the way her arrival reshapes CBS News. No, my reason for rejoicing is something else: I'm just thrilled that the world no longer has to endure the avalanche of will-she-or-won't-she stories that the press has thrown at us for the past few months.

Sure, we're now dealing with a fair share of post-announcement Couric stories, but they can't last all that long (can they?). And most of them are at least about something, issues like what the move means for CBS News and how it will affect the bottom line. Before the announcement, by contrast, we had to endure day after day of speculative pieces that didn't really move the story in a significant way. Katie wants to go! Katie wants to stay! CBS isn't offering enough money! The deal is done! The deal is stalled! Wait – it's back on again!

The whole thing had more than a faint whiff of high school, with the nerds – that would be the media critics – obsessing over the lives of the popular kids, chief among them Katie, the queen bee around whom the Matts and Dianes and Soledads revolve. I'm not trying to be too hard on the nerds here – they're my people, after all – but it seemed like they got so blinded by the Couric story, with its celebrity protagonist, that they forgot one of the primary rules of journalism: If a particular topic offers you nothing to write about, well then don't write about it.

I'm not suggesting that Couric's possible jump to CBS News wasn't a story, by any means. But the breathless coverage that greeted every rumor and offhand comment was disproportionate to what the story was offering. As my friend and colleague Paul McLeary wrote on Tuesday, the day before the announcement, "the constant drumbeat of Couric non-news, rumor and speculation has officially entered the realm of the absurd. The story hasn't moved forward much in weeks, yet critics and media writers continue to fill airtime and column inches war-gaming the possible scenarios."

We had a number of discussions about how to cover the Couric speculation here at Public Eye. The story, as it were, was in our backyard, after all. But we didn't see any real value in speculating on whether or not she would jump ship, especially when the speculation was based on anonymous sources and conjecture. Now that Couric is coming to CBS News, we've got a lot more to hang our hats on, and we'll be covering the story of Couric's arrival and the evolution of CBS News aggressively. I hope the rest of the media universe shakes off their embarrassing pre-announcement Couric coverage and joins us. High school's over, guys.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by brian5064 April 8, 2006 12:39 AM EDT: I'm not sure what to think. Bob Schieffer has done a great job for the past year. The newscast has become broader and covers more stories in depth. Katie Couric seems nice enough but I can't seem to get the images of her doing cooking segments out of my mind. I'll give her a chance, but if CBS fluffs up the Evening News then I guess I'll have to watch NBC or ABC.; Reply to this comment


by innov8ion April 7, 2006 8:11 PM EDT: Well that's great that the author was only concerned about the speculation of a news anchor change. In addition, his his quip about the evolution of CBS news would be amusing if it weren't so sickening. A true news anchor relays the news (not opinion) in a stoic, non-partisan manner. Katie Couric is far from stoic and has a long history of left-leaning political bias. Please refer to the article here: http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=21922 Hasn't CBS learned anything after the Dan Rathergate scandal? Apparently not.; Reply to this comment


by booksum April 7, 2006 2:15 AM EDT: Katie Couric?...What's next CBS?...special reports from Geraldo and Jerry Springer?; Reply to this comment


by pjn20061 April 6, 2006 11:25 PM EDT: CBS will be losing our family as nightly news viewers. We too will be watching Brian Williams on NBC. Despite the fact that we are loyal and regular viewers of 60 Minutes, we will take a pass on any Couric segments. Her Today Show interview with Bill Clinton was possibly THE WORST TV interview I've witnessed. Bob Sheiffer was great. Whoever planned this deal must have been smoking something!; Reply to this comment


by southpaw1011 April 6, 2006 11:14 PM EDT: You at CBS have taken leave of your senses and your Rules of Engagement prevent me from saying it in a more colorful manner. It was always a pleasure to watch Bob Scheiffer on the Evening News. He is a seasoned newscaster and is easily the class of the evening network newsmen. The man oozes gravitas. In the 1970's I was a taxi dispatcher and, on a few occasions, dealt directly with him when he ordered a cab. He was the same off camera as he was on camera and a pleasure to deal with. You will replace him with Katie Couric -- a mere lollipop -- in an effort to pump up ratings. It will be a vulgar venture and I wish you no luck. Bob Scheiffer's last night at CBS Evening News will be my last as well.; Reply to this comment


by southpaw1011 April 6, 2006 10:51 PM EDT: You at CBS have taken leave of your senses and your Rules of Engagement prevent me from saying it in a more colorful manner. It was always a pleasure to watch Bob Scheiffer on the Evening News. He is a seasoned newscaster and is easily the class of the evening network newsmen. The man oozes gravitas. In the 1970's I was a taxi dispatcher and, on a few occasions, dealt directly with him when he ordered a cab. He was the same off camera as he was on camera and a pleasure to deal with. You will replace him with Katie Couric -- a mere lollipop -- in an effort to pump up ratings. It will be a vulgar venture and I wish you no luck. Bob Scheiffer's last night at CBS Evening News will be my last as well.; Reply to this comment


by the-crrow April 6, 2006 10:33 PM EDT: After a long line of true newsmen in the anchor chair, we jump into the realm of asking a personality to provide us with an authoritative evning new program. Sad. Someone is selling the jewels of the Tiffany Network. I missed Walter, the first anchor I can recall as a child, the man my father trusted for the news. I grew to like and trust Dan as well. Sad that he was swallowed up by someone else neglecting to vet a story. Bob has been fantastic. He may be the last of the true TV journelists. With his leaving the chair, so ends news journalism at CBS. I will watch cute little Katie just for laughs as she begins her new venture. It doesn't matter much since I do not rely on the evening news for my news at all. The thought of KC on 60 Minutes makes me chcukle. I hope somebody trains her well for that task. If not, the mighty news magazine that Don built will be tumbling down the same sad road as the nightly news.; Reply to this comment


by jas672 April 6, 2006 8:48 PM EDT: after looking at the picture of katie on the news last night i think she can now add runway model to her resume. i have watched the cbs news since before walter k. hello brian willams! ciao cbs news.; Reply to this comment


by kirby236 April 6, 2006 7:51 PM EDT: Katie C. And here, after 30 years of watching journalist, know journalist, and being a journalist, it all comes down to ratings. Terrific. Hope she covers Armageddon with the same verve and sensitivity as she has SOOOOO many other subjects. I can't wait.; Reply to this comment


by emvh1213 April 6, 2006 7:28 PM EDT: I will not be watching the CBS Evening News once "giggle-box" steps in to anchor.; Reply to this comment