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July 12, 2006 11:45 AM

Hop A Ride On Katie’s Listening Tour

Posted by Vaughn Ververs
(CBS)
As you’ve almost certainly heard, incoming CBS News anchor Katie Couric has been making her way around the nation on a little listening tour, designed to help the new “Evening News” team better understand what viewers want from their broadcast. As “Evening News” Executive Producer Rome Hartman tells the Los Angeles Times this morning, the tour is “about figuring out how to do stories in a way that are valuable and meaningful and relevant to people. … It's easy to be a little bit isolated. We don't want to do stories for each other."

The tour, officially dubbed the “Eye on America Tour,” is slated to hit six cities before it wraps up on Monday. But while Katie and crew listen to some select participants in those cities, don’t let your voice get lost in the mix. Remember, Public Eye is your place to talk to CBS News, and since they’re asking how they can make stories in a way that is more relevant to viewers, why not give them your two cents right here.

Either post a comment below (yes, you must register but it’s quick and once you’ve done it, you're done with it) or e-mail us your thoughts and suggestions. Do you want more hard news, analysis or foreign coverage. Do you want to know what it all means for your own life, more news you can use? Would longer stories be more valuable to you? Would you like to see more interactivity, easier ways to dig into stories or more opinion? We’ll post the best ideas, comments and suggestions we get and make sure the folks at the “Evening News” see them. By “best,” we mean interesting, thought-provoking, innovative or unique not insulting, predictable ideological or agenda-driven rants.

It’s your opportunity to take part in Katie’s “listening tour,” so let’s hear it.
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Add a Comment See all 16 Comments
by k-sozer July 14, 2006 7:55 PM EDT
Katie adopted the name herself, is my understanding, about the time she started the Today show. Before that she was Katherine Couric.
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by jumpcut111 July 14, 2006 1:43 PM EDT
I think it's interesting that every single comment here refers to Katie Couric as "Katie," while all of the male journalists are referred to by their last names (or full names). Regarding the listening tour, I'm willing to bet that the real reason Katie (see, I'm guilty too) is traveling to all those cities is to tape promos with the local anchors for this Fall. I think the "listening tour" is just an incidental add-on.
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by aasteg July 13, 2006 5:52 PM EDT
For an idea of a great evening news program, may I suggest you watch THE NATIONAL produced daily by the CBC in Canada. Even though I'm American, I watch this show daily. It gives great insight into international issues as well as domestic ones, yet avoids seeming pedantic. The anchors (female and male) seem to have understanding & interest in the news and issues they report.
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by eek152 July 13, 2006 4:26 PM EDT
Most people grow up idolizing athletes, music artists, or heroic fictional characters as children. Me? I watched the news. So I'm pretty familiar with Katie's journalistic style and while I'll admit that I think it probably is what MADE the Today show, I do have complete confidence that she's capable of switching gears and taking on a new and different news format and handling it professionally. Let's give her some credit; She knew she was in for a change when she made the decision. Otherwise it wouldn't be worth doing. If the public regard and success of this new venture for CBS is going to be based on constant comparisons to Cronkite, that's a pretty significant testament to the ignorance of viewers. And I disagree that the fact that Katie is doing a listening tour is a sign that she's disconnected. Obviously, she realizes that not everybody in the U.S. is the same, in thoughts, lifestyle, or politics. Taking the opportunity to discuss in-depth current issues with people who will all be affected by them differently is a sign of her being clueless? Speaking of ignorance....
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by joycewest July 13, 2006 2:39 PM EDT
We need more context for the news, and I don't think a 30-minute program is long enough. If that's all there is, however, go in depth -- maybe half the program -- on at least one topic. Today, for example, I want to know more about Lebanon, specifically what's been happening there between the time of the Lebanese civil war and today. On the website, offer something more than a transcript of what was on TV. Everything Tom Fenton said in his book about more foreign coverage is right on the mark. As far as domestic coverage, I think more attention needs to be paid to how we care for the disabled, both young and old. The increased population of autistic children has enormous impact on public schools and Medicaid. Likewise, Alzheimer's disease will take its toll both privately and for society at large. Often the plight of the disabled doesn't get attention until a catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina occurs. Coverage of disability issues could easily occupy a reporter full time.
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by sangiovese--2008 July 13, 2006 1:42 PM EDT
No doubt Katie is aware of the huge shoes she's about to fill. And while she's considering the legacy of Murrow and Cronkite, I'd sure like her to take the CBS evening news in a direct befitting these serious journalists over more current entertainment orientations. If Gwen Ifill and Margeret Warner can set the pace for no nonsense interviews and reporting coming from a woman reporter, can Katie follow or even exceed? Time will tell.
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by veganking July 13, 2006 2:36 AM EDT
I like the interactive format of "The Situation Room" on CNN. Compact that down to cover a lot of stories and it would be interesting to watch. Use the Internet to ask a question relevant to the news where voters could get real time results after voting. Best wishes, Katie, in your new position.
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by laura_mouns July 13, 2006 1:14 AM EDT
I wish Katie luck in her new position, but agree with some of the other opinions expressed. Keep NEWS as NEWS and you will be successful. I also think it's really important and exciting for a woman to excel in this role and I hope that you accomplish that feat. I think there are still too many people out there who feel that certain jobs should still male dominated. I hope that Katie can silence the critics quickly.
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by cbs01812 July 12, 2006 9:30 PM EDT
I want to hear what happened instead of how I feel about it. stand up to powerful people, not the people who stand up to powerful people. the questions powerful people don't want asked, that's often where the News is, don't you think? CBS News means something. I see one segment about somebody's stamp collection or how great a new drug is too many and I am gone for good. no kneepads, that's all I ask. not to Industry, not to those in power. CBS News DOES mean something. for now.
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by bonboone July 12, 2006 9:00 PM EDT
I'm looking forward to a younger, fresh image on CBS evening news. The only thing I ask is that the news is REPORTED. What we don't need is a lot of biased commentary. There's plenty of that on the talk shows - and that's where it belongs! Best wishes to Katie and CBS - you have a real chance to regain some lost confidence in your viewers here.
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by brian5064 July 12, 2006 5:54 PM EDT
I crave more international news coverage that provides depth and context. The network newscasts tend to give a lot of headlines but very little substance to the stories they are covering. CBS would do well if they emulated BBC News. I think it would be helpful if the network news was a window to a global outlook. Americans would be savvier if our news outlets did a better job of conveying how world events impact us at home and how what we do in the U.S. is impacting the world. CBS now has a unique opportunity to do that and I hope they don't blow it. We can do without the stories about the guy who builds small houses or the latest craze in drag racing. Start taking your viewers more seriously! People are tuning in to watch the CBS Evening News not Entertainment Tonight!
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by tshort327 July 12, 2006 5:50 PM EDT
Given the slick PR packaging concocted these days by every major personality/ corporation/government agency for delivery over network airwaves, anything short of MORE editorializing and analysis by CBS News (or any other mainstream media group) would simply mean a continuation of the boilerplate "journalism" we've been subjected to for far too long now. How many more "Clear Skies Initiatives," "Mission Accomplished," "Healthy Forests" press releases can the networks possibly read, VERBATIM, and the American public afford to listen to, before someone with authority in the media realizes that the dearth of truth in our media is causing irreparable damage to America?
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by centralcal-2009 July 12, 2006 5:42 PM EDT
I agree wholeheartedly with K-Sozer's last paragraph. The "leave the editorializing out of the news" is the best advice. And editorializing is done not only with vocabulary, but with facial expressions and body language. BE REPORTERS or be opinion writers! Sadly, these days, everyone in journalism is an opinion-ista!
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by tahitidude July 12, 2006 5:27 PM EDT
Hey CBS people, I think it's cool you're trying to get some feedback about what we want to see. I want to see serious, no-fluff news...be fearless and in depth (we can read the headlines online at work)but in a way I can relate to and that means something to me. For instance, if your lead story is some facts about a North Korean missile threat (a valid story in itself, but it doesn't really mean anything) I'd love to see a story immediately after with some background...what's the political climate in N Korea? Are the threats real or just fear-mongering? This kind of thing puts the story into perspective. News is not simply 'the facts' on the wire ticker....the truth and the facts are not always one and the same. I'd love to see an end to the daily "this drug will kill you" or "a new study says coffee will increase brain capacity"...these kind of reports come out every day and mean absolutely nothing. Furthermore, these stories seem to be squarely targeted at your senior audience - but if you want to attract yuppie viewers like myself we don't care about it. We're starving for objective real news! Be brave and set CBS a-part from the rest as a place of serious, no-nonsense journalism and a fiercely loyal audience will find you.
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by jumpcut111 July 12, 2006 4:28 PM EDT
Right after the big announcement of Katie as new anchor, it was mentioned that Bob Shieffer may continue on the broadcast in a commentator's role. I haven't heard anything since, but here's a vote in favor of that happening.
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by k-sozer July 12, 2006 4:19 PM EDT
Bob Scheiffer has been taking the broadcast in the correct direction, it's a shame he's being let go just as he hits his stride. He brought me back, after the Rather alienation. I suspect that you don't expect me to stay a viewer. I'll give Katie about a week to leave her Today persona behind before I move on. Leave the editorializing out of the news, if you possibly can, and admit mistakes quickly and forthrightly.
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