Comments on: Katie: Meeting The Edwards

[curlz82]

Yep I know what (redshoos1) means.I too am fighting breast cancer with my head up high!Katie's steamroller "full speed ahead" approach showed us that behind that pretty face is a callous, heartless, steel cold NEWS MACHINE. Publicly demeaning and defacing the Edwards are at a heart level &challenged their core values with devastating diagnosis. Watch the disheartened looks on there faces as she plows ahead.
Cancer is just as much a mental and emotional battle as a physical one. It takes the inner strength, heart and determination of a hero to look that diagnosis in the face and meet it head on moving forward. Just watching the Edwards I see is a depth and love to be envied.Not the cool, mechanical hand holding and smiles we see from the Clintons).
There's one conclusion..Katie projected herself & values in choices and why she made them during her own husband%u2019s cancer battle.The accusations reveals her own heart. If it weren't so... having been there herself she wouldn't be able to call it what she did. Many great leaders have made brave and selfless sacrifices to serve others. Elizabeth will face tough days. But inside there's a fighting spirit that's not giving up! They'retoo smart to compromise her care or children's.
To the Edwards I say...Thank you. Your confidence& bravery are empowering to us in the same battle!
To CBS I say Katie is irrelevent. She's arrogantwith the guise of a smile.Too full of herself to be so brazenly bold.She's replaceable isn't she?

[sharonash-2009]

I had to add one more comment. I am sick and tired of people who are for or against Katie stating "she is the first women to anchor an evening newscast. Barbara Walters was the first women to anchor an evening news cast (even though it was not alone). Also, other women have anchored nightly newscasts on other networks as "fill-ins". I really do not understand what all the "hoopla" is in regard to Katie being a women. The bottom line is Katie is very likeable
and intelligent, she just lacks "hard" journalism
experience.

[camaron-2009]

Well, I really didn't care about your work to begin with, but now that I have watched this interview, I will definitively not watch you again.
I just can't believe that you had nothing else to speak about other than attacking the Edwards' for taking the courageous decision of continuing in the presidential contention. How judgmental of you? As so many people are saying, it is so hypocritical of you. You never quit working, not even "temporarily" as you said.
I believe there are other important issues you could have touched upon rather than attacking them relentlessly.
I am just so happy with the way the Edwards' responded to you, showing the professionalism and charisma that you totally lacked.

[redshoos1]

I myself am a breast cancer survivor going through testing for the possibility of metastasis in the chest or ribs. As each new question came forth... I felt my state of relaxed optimism change. It felt as though my heart sank... with the next question... my shoulders dropped, then I could feel a deep ache in my soul, I literally started to feel drained and weary like she kicked the wind out of my sails.
As a cancer survivor I walk with faith, hope and a sharper perspective as to what is important in life and what it is to live. The statements felt like a negative force saying "you know your going to die... if John can't sit home and hold your hand while you do... then he just has a selfish lust for power. A slap in the face for anyone who is determined not to give up or define their future by a diagnosis.

I see them as heroes with strength willing to sacrifice! I find them encouraging and admirable.

Sincerly,
I too am choosing to LIVE

[downard4]

Shame on you!! I always thought you were a terrible interviewer, but I didn't realize how heartless you were as well.

[murrowcries]

Couric,

"....In some ways, I feel it%u2019s their decision and no one else%u2019s. ..." .... yeah ....right!

I watched the Edwards interview thinking that you would bring an insiders view to their situation, as you worked while your husband died and you also had small kids. Granted, you were working while your husband Jay died for a multi-million dollar contract doing fluff journalism on the Today show and not campaigning for a public service job with an agenda to help the poor and those without health care. So Katie, your motives could be said by some people to have been very selfish in comparison to those of the Edwards.I was mistaken to think there was any similarity between you and the Edwards couple that could give insight to anyone. My next door neighbor would have asked more thoughtful, interesting, and appropriate questions. And if you and CBS are quoting John Edwards to save you from this despicable interview that you did ..... FORGET IT!!!!! John Edwards is a gentleman and won't ruin you for your vile behavior ..... but, you have ruined yourself through your hypocritical, vile, and insensitive behavior ..... take your 30 pieces of silver and resign ..... as for CBS ..... shame on you all!


These are my thoughts and opinions ..... solely my thoughts and opinions...... Murrowcries

[brmulkey]

Katie, judgmentalism trumped humanity during your interview with the Edwards Sunday night. The judgmental tone of your questions during the interview and the expression on your face as you asked the questions made it easy to think that your personal belief system had gotten in the way of your ability to conduct a thorough yet compassionate interview. Though I watch 60 Minutes fairly frequently depending on the subject matter, I will not be inclined to watch it when you're doing the interview.

[fashionista9]

Katie,
I fully expect you to now interview Tony Snow and do it in the same manner you grilled Senator and Mrs. Edwards. How can Tony Snow keep his stressful job as White House Secretary while he's battling cancer? How can he be sure he can return to the podium? "Some say" he won't be able to work to full capacity. "Some say" he'll be distracted by his treatment. Fair is fair.

[dragonmast1]

I think that the interview with the Edwards should not have been given to start with. How many other women in this country get or have breast cancer or any kind of cancer? You don't see those women being interviewed on the news. The only reason the Edwards were interviewed is because of political reasons.

[jimholmen]

We have been loyal fans for years, but your nasty interegation of the Edwards was painful to watch. "Some people say"--how disingenuous that statement is--shame on you. Did anyone shame you when you worked while your husband was ill? We have been loyal CBS news watchers for dozens of years, but your nasty "Rush-like" nastiness will cause us to no longer watch you. You should know better, if only from your own past similar situation.

SHAME SHAME SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!

If a heartfelt apology is given, we (and our friends) will reconsider our decision.

[phoenixandy]

Katie, it's really hypocritical of you to grill the Edwards on how their handling Elizabeth's cancer, while when your previous husband was dying, you didn't take any time off from your "Today" show duties, until he died. You're pathetic and CBS clearly went the conservative route by hiring you so that CBS newscasts would be no different from the Fox News Channel.

At least Dan Rather had the guts to report the truth about Bush's lack of military service against adversity to seek the truth unlike you when you're only hard on Democratic but not Republican politicians. Dan Rather never stooped as low as you.

[dlbarton57-2009]

I find it utterly hypocritical that Ms. Couric would question the Edwards' decision to go forward with their campaign in spite of their health crisis when Ms. Couric never stopped working during the time her husband was stricken with cancer.

I also find is completely disingenuous that Ms. Couric used the journalistically lazy convention of saying "some people say..." instead of just coming out and asking the question in a straightforward manner. If "some people" have said it, why doesn't she identify who they are?

What a precipitous drop CBS has taken from the Major League days of Murrow and Cronkite; Couric is Bush League, and her ratings reflect it.

[strength63]

Ms. Katie Couric,

Thank you. Thank you for asking the questions that my friends, family, and co-workers were asking about the Edwards. I thought you were poised and asked pertinent questions. The Edwards expected these questions and it was completely reasonable to ask them. My personal opinion is that Elizabeth and John Edwards should make the decision to not run - not because of them, but for their children. Their children need to be with their mom and dad more than ever right now. One comment I kept hearing about you is that you were faced with your husband%u2019s cancer that you %u201Cchose work over family." It infuriates me to hear this. By the Edwards still running, they will be traveling (which is exhausting on any cancer patient %u2013 even with luxury hotels and planes), away from their children a lot of the time, and we be %u201Con the job%u201D 24/7. For you, you were able to work 5am to 10am and then go home to your family. You were mainly in one city and were not traveling constantly. In addition, I remember that you did take some short time periods off to be with them.

I hope you stay confident and don't let this bump in the road get you down. Keep smiling and I will keep watching.

Sincerely

Aimee Aranguren
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Age 23

[brittopia30]

My concern with the interview is "some people." If you are quoting someone, quote them, don't hide behind others. Ask your own questions and if others want you to ask questions on their behalf, state who they are and the question. When my father was diagnosed with cancer, we didn't have the opportunity to face this particular dilemma (living with cancer) as my father died after the surgery to remove his brain tumor, which was two short days after it was found. But I believe that if he had survived, we would have moved forward, facing whatever challenges that cancer brings, not retreat in the face of possible defeat. If a person is physically incapacitated due to the cancer or treatments, that is one thing. But if a person (Elizabeth Edwards, Tony Snow or any other person with a cancer or other life-threatening diagnosis) chooses and is able to live their life and work, that is their choice. It is my choice to decide if I want to support them, whether it's in relation to John Edwards presidential run or Tony Snow's role as Press Secretary. I won't be more or less likely to support or criticize because of a cancer diagnosis that may impact their ability to work and live.

[selest-2009]

I think Katie was way too tough. She needs to take some lessons from Barbara Walters. I saw no sympathy. Loose the edge. Ever since she began to try to "read" the news something does not seem right. A new producer is not going to fix the problem here. I did not feel the "human touch" at all in the way she conducted herself and apparently I am not alone. She is not the only person to loose someone from cancer. I will watch ABC or NBC from now on.

[jetlizhan]

airmanc5 -

THANK YOU!!

[jetlizhan]

katie, so one should maintain a sense of normalcy in a crisis such as cancer; however you decried the Edwards for doing just that. i'm so sick of you - what a mistake cbs made with you. neither i nor any of my family members will ever watch your newscast again. nbc just got a lot of new forever fans. oh, and couric, how about a HUGE apology to not only the Edwards, but to the very few fans you still have left - by the way, the number of fans is so small, you probably won't even need a microphone. what a disappointment you've turned out to be.

[sharonash-2009]

I am also as disappointed in Katie's blog as I was with the interview. The problem is not that tough questions were asked, but rather that it was a very one sided "grilling" of the Edwards.
Katie states people's comments were on both sides of the issue, however, her questions were very one sided. This was not the time or place to show
her "tough" side.

[mkief05]

Katie, I've been waiting for your Blog response to the 60 Minutes interview and I continue to be disappointed after reading what you wrote. I think the point that has upset so many of your fans is that you were SO out of character. It was the way you worded the questions and the manner in which you delivered the questions that was so shocking! Why didn't you show some of the same empathy during the interview that you write about in your Blog?

[rhburch]

Katie Couric's interview of John and Elizabeth Edwards was a disgrace to CBS News.

The repetitive asking of the same questions (phrased differently), and the "some say" tactic became a trial to watch. Actually, it was a trial, not an interview. At one point, I stood and shouted, "Asked and answered! Move on Katie!" at the TV.

Everyone has "off" days, but this is an ignominy that Katie Couric will never live down without a heartfelt apology.

John and Elizabeth Edwards showed great grace and poise in their candid answers. Too bad Katie Couric lacks those virtues. Her skeptical expression in her reaction shots look planned.

By the way, Katie, why did you keep working after your husband became fatally ill? Shouldn't you have spent that time with him and your small children? Repeat those questions four or five times and answer them again each time with tact and intelligence.

Good-bye, Katie. I will not watch CBS News or 60 Minutes again until you apologize or resign. Of course, that would take integrity.