Couric & Co.
September 5, 2006 3:59 PM

Katie Couric's Notebook: Back to School

This is a day of firsts -- and it's reminded Katie of something we all remember, the first day of school. Katie's been scribbling in her notebook, and today shares the first page. Click the screen to see more.



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Notebook ,
School ,
Katie Couric
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Katie's Notebook

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by nandynanny September 5, 2006 4:50 PM PDT
I'd like to see how Ms. Couric will distance herself as the rival anchorwoman at 6:30 PM weekdays. I'd be curious to witness if she's an independent thinker or follows directions exactly as CBS producers would want viewed. Speaking as a professional woman myself, gender is a way of life but not as a means to an ends of journalism necessarily.
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by nandynanny September 5, 2006 4:50 PM PDT
I'd like to see how Ms. Couric will distance herself as the rival anchorwoman at 6:30 PM weekdays. I'd be curious to witness if she's an independent thinker or follows directions exactly as CBS producers would want viewed. Speaking as a professional woman myself, gender is a way of life but not as a means to an ends of journalism necessarily.
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by jhschaal September 5, 2006 4:53 PM PDT
I signed up and logged on and it says am forbidden to view???
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by jhschaal September 5, 2006 4:53 PM PDT
I signed up and logged on and it says am forbidden to view???
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by jtjudice September 5, 2006 4:54 PM PDT
i love it already- thanks CBS-
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by jtjudice September 5, 2006 4:54 PM PDT
i love it already- thanks CBS-
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by jtjudice September 5, 2006 4:55 PM PDT
i love it already- thanks CBS-
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by robsauritch September 5, 2006 4:56 PM PDT
I applaud Katie's choice to take on her new role with CBS News. She will succeed, as she did on the Today show or any endeavor that she chooses.

Katie is child of America. She grew up with us and 'we' with her - and that hair! Her "down-to-earth" personality is wonderful and helps us to identify with her, but that's not what will sustain our lasting relationship with her.

As the new chapter begins, so does our relationship with Katie. We can only "wait and see" as more of her personality is unveiled - I'm sure that is what will keep us tuned in.

After all, this isn't the Today show anymore.


Here's to new chapters ~
Rob Sauritch
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by robsauritch September 5, 2006 4:56 PM PDT
I applaud Katie's choice to take on her new role with CBS News. She will succeed, as she did on the Today show or any endeavor that she chooses.

Katie is child of America. She grew up with us and 'we' with her - and that hair! Her "down-to-earth" personality is wonderful and helps us to identify with her, but that's not what will sustain our lasting relationship with her.

As the new chapter begins, so does our relationship with Katie. We can only "wait and see" as more of her personality is unveiled - I'm sure that is what will keep us tuned in.

After all, this isn't the Today show anymore.


Here's to new chapters ~
Rob Sauritch
Reply to this comment
by robsauritch September 5, 2006 4:56 PM PDT
I applaud Katie's choice to take on her new role with CBS News. She will succeed, as she did on the Today show or any endeavor that she chooses.

Katie is child of America. She grew up with us and 'we' with her - and that hair! Her "down-to-earth" personality is wonderful and helps us to identify with her, but that's not what will sustain our lasting relationship with her.

As the new chapter begins, so does our relationship with Katie. We can only "wait and see" as more of her personality is unveiled - I'm sure that is what will keep us tuned in.

After all, this isn't the Today show anymore.


Here's to new chapters ~
Rob Sauritch
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by jtjudice September 5, 2006 4:58 PM PDT
i love it already- thanks CBS-
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by emeryda-2009 September 5, 2006 5:19 PM PDT
Just wanted to say thanks for the great job you've done so far with everything Katie. I'll miss seeing Bob every night, but I'm glad that you're replacing him. I'll definitely be watching you and looking forward to your more personal approach to the news.

David Emery
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by tfrazier6 September 5, 2006 5:23 PM PDT
Katie,

I have always admired your poise, intellect, and charisma. I will be watching and cheering you on tonight.

Regards,
Tiffany
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by jfarley1959 September 5, 2006 5:24 PM PDT
Uh, I guess if we're talking about being forced to wear a bra in the 7th grade, 'hard news' is going the way of the dodo. I can always turn to the internet or to Gibson over at ABC.
Give me a break. I can't imagine Walter Cronkite talking about wearing a cup to football practice. And I didn't think CBS could get any lower than Dan Rather's sweaters and 'Courage' signoff.
BUT.. if that's the direction you're going in, let's see some of that famous KC leg and heck, show us the bra as well!
Pathetic.
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by stevyz1 September 5, 2006 5:36 PM PDT
I AGREE KATIE IS TOO SOFT FOR A HARD HITTING NEWS PROGRAM...I DONT HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST HER PERSONALLY BUT I DONT WANT THE FLUFFY EVENING NEWS ,,,..SHE IS NO DAN RATHER ...AFTER 30 YEARS OF LOYAL VIEWING I GUES ITS TIME TO SWITCH TO NBC NEWS
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by qwashington9 September 5, 2006 5:38 PM PDT
I have waited for this moment ever since the summer, and I know-with gut feeling- that Katie will do an absolutely splendid job with the CBS Evening News and will help CBS begin #1 in the evening news ratings. Go Katie!
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by mamaof2girls September 5, 2006 5:46 PM PDT
Katie,

I have watched you for years on the "Today Show" and I must say...that is where I feel in love with you! You made me want to be that mother of two girls that works hard and sets a GREAT example for my daughters! And I will continue to love you and follow your stories nightly!

Good Luck and Best wishes on your first night on CBS!! I will stop by daily on Couric & CO.

Much Love,

Mama of 2 girls 2!!
~Beth~
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by kristen_n-2009 September 5, 2006 5:46 PM PDT
blech! if i have to see one more person rip on katie as if she had a quarter of a brain, i will scream.

yes, she is a very cheerful, upbeat person, but people are capable of changing their demeanor in different situations. besides, who ever said that only crotchety old white men could deliver "serious" news? please please please move into the 21st century.
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by dhand2157 September 5, 2006 5:51 PM PDT
Katie...all the best! you should be admired for having the courage to jump from your comfortable morning show to this very challenging new venture. You will tackle this challenge with the same confidence, competence, and energy that made you such a pleasure to watch and listen to every morning on the Today Show. Those who are abandoning CBS because of your "perky, cheerleader personality" and "lack of gravitas" are doing themselves a disservice and selling you short...my prediction is they will be coming back soon to see what all the "noise" is about on the CBS Evening News!

Go get em! Katie!
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by stevyz1 September 5, 2006 5:52 PM PDT
THIS ISINT AN ATTACK OF HER INTELLECT...SHE WAS GREAT FOT THE TODAY SHOW..I LIKED HER THERE.. NICE AND FLUFFY IN THE MORNING..ON A SHOW LIKE THAT SHE IS PERFECT..IM NOT OPPOSED TO A WOMAN ANCHOR EITHER JUST OPPOSED TO THIS PERTICULAR CHOICE ,,
WE NEED A HARD HITTING REPORTER SHE IS MORE OF A FLUFF ARTIST I JUST CANT TAKE HER SERIOUSLY AS A NEWS ANCHOR


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by ddocken1 September 5, 2006 5:55 PM PDT
We have waited for this day all summer long. Katie, you are bright, articulate and fun and we look forward to your first telecast on the CBS Evening News this evening. You will do good, and we are so glad to see you everyday (well, almost everyday) again.

Dale & Kim Docken - San Diego
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by karin_marie September 5, 2006 5:55 PM PDT
Hi Katie!

I am excited to see you doing what is right for you, and letting the rest of us benefit from that! You Go Girl!

Wishing you the best this evening, and every evening forward.

Karin Nielsen
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by angelu64 September 5, 2006 5:58 PM PDT
Katie,

I don't have to wish you luck, your great. I went to work late once in awhile when my husband would leave the TV on, because I loved you and Matt. When I found out you were going to nightly news, I was so happy because I will be able to watch it. Katie your such an inspiration to women and family. Keep up the great job you do and don't change for anyone. Being you is what makes YOU a great person.

Angel
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by skeezix06 September 5, 2006 6:00 PM PDT
This morning you said you thought news should not be delivered with "gravitas". I'm sorry, but the evening news is important and should be considered substantive, weighty, and delivered with a serious or dignified demeanor. I don't want or need evening news, that is delivered in a cheerful, lighthearted, chatty, party type atmosphere.

In addition, I see that you intend to have Bill Clinton, George Bush, Rudy Giuliani, and Walter Cronkite on as guest speakers. I have to ask. They are perfectly logical and reasonable choices for certain situations, but are they taking the place of actual news stories? Is so, I believe we can dispense with their presence...

And what's with this Rush Limbaugh and Bill Maher business? They are not politicians. They are not dignitaries. They are radio and tv entertainers. Why in the world would you have either one of them on the evening news? WHY?



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by gmhf September 5, 2006 6:00 PM PDT
I'm thrilled to be able to see a Woman as the Anchor on the Evening News. It's a long time coming.And I Love and Adore Katie Couric. I've watched her for years on the Today Show. And I will enjoy watching her on the CBS Evening News. GOOD LUCK KATIE. You WILL DO A GREAT JOB!!!
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by edrmurrow September 5, 2006 6:08 PM PDT
Katie,

You didn't really write that blog!

You didn't really "google" the word blog, either!

It just doesn't add up.

That's no way to earn credibility.

I'll be watching from down heere!

Ed R.
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by heather7624 September 5, 2006 6:38 PM PDT
Smart anchor=smart news! Welcome,Katie! I've missed you in the morning and have been eagerly awaiting your debut. Go get 'em!
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by dhand2157 September 5, 2006 6:39 PM PDT
Hey, Stevyz1....

You might not see Katie in a "serious" news role, but dude, if you want anyone to take YOUR posts seriously, mix in the spell check before you hit Publish!

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by skeezix06 September 5, 2006 6:46 PM PDT
I agree with everything Friedman said. My problem? He should be saying within the frame of Sunday morning pundit shows, radio or tv talk shows, even a special program based on the war. He took up time on the evening news which would have been better spent on the two one-liner stories which you so lightly skipped over.

Best analogy would be that I was hoping for meat and potatoes for the evening meal and got appetizers and petit fours instead. A person can't live on that.
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by renee60 September 5, 2006 7:08 PM PDT
Great job, Katie!!!! It is great to see you at night. I have watched you on NBC with Matt for many many years and I think you are great. You are an inspiration to all women. I still love the Today show in the mornings, but I will definitely be supporting you on CBS in the evenings.

You go girl!!!!!!!!!!
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by awaldbil September 5, 2006 7:09 PM PDT
Ok. I admit it. I was leery. It started out a bit rough - a little tight. But, maybe tough news should be a little tight. The second half was certainly your element and your warmth brought most of us with an open mind right into the room with you. I love the free speech and snapshots segments %u2013 I hope they stick. Finally- in regards to your closing %u2013 just be true to yourself %u2013 it will come.
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by mark1209 September 5, 2006 7:11 PM PDT
Hello,
Broadcast One had my wife remarking that Katie must have had plastic surgery on her cheeks but I was impressed with Walter Cronkite's voiceover intro. It told me he respects her after all the years he was ignored by Dan Rather and CBSNews.Katie had good reports from Lara Logan and Steve Hartman and Anthony Mason. I am open to change with the broadcast and will withold judgement for a few weeks but seeing baby photos of a celebrity's baby is not my idea of news. I trust Katie will evolve the CBS Evening News into a broadcast not only her family is proud of but that Walter Cronkite is,too. All the best to her and everyone who has suffered through a year plus of waiting for Katie. Now,let's get back to the daily business of news production and how about a documentary or two down the road like CBS Reports once did. The signoff doesn't matter because no one can do better than Uncle Walter's. later,mark isenberg age 52 in neptune,nj
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by lrovegno-2009 September 5, 2006 7:16 PM PDT
Hello

she should close the program with the following:

"Good night, and the world needs you."


Bye
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by pete7201 September 6, 2006 11:44 AM PDT
Katie,

Finally, there is some sunshine in evening news. I thought your performance was new beginning for evening news. Who decided that our evenings can%u2019t be as bright as what our mornings were? That%u2019s what I find myself asking after reading some of the other blogs. When was it decided that our evening news had to come from a man in a dark suit with a slick back do? I believe your personality will draw a younger group while still appealing to dedicated evening news watchers. You make people, especially young people, care about what is going on in the world. Whether that%u2019s in the morning or in the evening, sparking that inquisitiveness in local and world affairs doesn%u2019t matter.

Thank you and good luck!
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by nsingletary September 6, 2006 12:24 PM PDT
Katie I am new to this blogging just like you but I am willing to dive in and see what happens. I was one of the unfortunate ones that set my Tivo to record your first News Anchor position and I couldn't wait to get home to watch it and it was not recorded I felt disappointed and I did not know why it failed until this morning when I read the explanation on the CBS web-site. I watched a lot of the free video available and I saw enough to know you did bring a fresh feel to the news and you made it very interesting. Keep up the great work.

Nancy
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by dutchesscnty September 6, 2006 12:27 PM PDT
Hi Katie....So happy to see you again. You were missed. I admit I felt a bit hurt when it was anounced you were leaving Today, like one of the gang was "flat leaving" us, but of I am so thrilled for your success. You were on your mark last nite. I have to ask, were you nervous? If you were, you are human, like the rest of us. Which is why you are so loved. I will look forward to spending the evening with you Mon-Fri, as I did my mornings. (Which means no more Seinfeld at 6:30 on TBS, ya know!) Kudos to you sister! And Thank you for what you will do for our daughters. Peace!
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by hawkcrr September 6, 2006 12:37 PM PDT
Katie,
Congratulations on becoming the first woman news anchor. I've watched you for many years on Today and enjoyed the program. I know you will bring CBS News to the front. The only criticsm I would have is the segment on photos. I don't have any suggestion for your closing comment. I will be watching for you again in the nights ahead.
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by dCollie September 6, 2006 12:38 PM PDT
Good work, Katie ... you've launced a new era in network news and have a terrific opportunity to reinvent the delivery of objective news. Dale Collie (CourageBuilders.com)
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by clintstake September 6, 2006 1:00 PM PDT
Katie, you were great last night, as usual. What you have that most news people don't have is the ability to interview politicians and ask tough questions in a professional way without offending them. What you need to do (which I hope you did with the President tonight) when interviewing politicians, is to make sure your personal opinion does not show itself during your interview. During several interviews on The Today Show, your political leanings and opinions were obvious to me. You can't do that anymore, especially now that you're in charge of your own national newscast. Continue being tough, but be fair and balanced with your questioning. Thanks, Katie, for taking on this assignment. Best of luck!
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by jmn5449 September 6, 2006 1:03 PM PDT
KATIE: I THOUGHT YOU DID A GREAT JOB WITH THE NEWS LAST EVENING,I NOW HAVE A REASON TO WATCH THE EVENING NEWS EVERY NITE. YOU SHOULD SIGN OFF EVERY NITE LIKE YOU DID LAST NIGHT. THE ONLY MINOR ERROR WAS THE SOIL WORD, BUT THATS MINOR WITH SOMEONE AS GREAT AS YOU.

JEREMY
PAWTUCKET, RI
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by thowen2 September 6, 2006 1:21 PM PDT
Dear Ms. Couric:

As a bleeding heart Republican, I am an avid 'Fox News' viewer. However, curiousity got the best of me, so I watched your first night as the new CBS Evening News Anchor. While the picture of that overpaid brat Tom Cruise's baby wasn't exactly critical when you consider all of the news on terrorism, war, and election primaries, I believe you did well on your first day with your new job. I am looking forward to your interview with President Bush.

Please try to be unbiased in your reporting. It is critical that we fight the terrorists and not each other. I'm going to miss you on the 'Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade' this year.

Best Wishes,

Thomas W. Cunningham, Jr.,
St. Petersburg, FL
thowen1988@yahoo.com
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by richardmike1 September 6, 2006 1:28 PM PDT
Katie--loved the show. You looked professional, yet very friendly and personable. I love your interviews, and investigative reports, so I hope you'll have lots of them.
As for a sign-off, how about something simple like: Thanks for making us part of your evening; this is Katie Couric for CBS News.
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by richardmike1 September 6, 2006 1:33 PM PDT
Katie--I can see you're going to be a maverick--wearing white the day after Labor Day. Good luck!
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by annamdibello September 6, 2006 1:50 PM PDT
Katie, congratulations on a job well done!!! you asked for a sign off how about Be safe or be well America Good luck
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by maddenl3 September 6, 2006 1:54 PM PDT
Katie,

We sent the following letter to our two senators Feinstein and Boxer and to our representative David Dreier over a week ago:

-------------------------------------------------

Please, Congresspersons, please have an open publicized debate this time.

On these surveys you send us, ask the question:
"Do you believe U.S. taxpayers should continue giving Israel three billion dollars a year, with NO strings attached?"

And please don't quietly sneak through an emergency appropriation to replace all those bombs, missiles and tanks they used during their latest Blitzkrieg of the Lebanese people and infrastructure.

-------------------------------------------------

We received no response, not even the usual vacuous form letters. It's amazing that Bush and Congress keep talking about "Our war on terror", but do not acknowledge that while the Israeli military was supposedly trying to destroy
the Hezbolloh terrorists, they terrorized the entire Lebanese people with weapons paid for by us. Thousands killed and wounded, one-fifth made homeless, 2.5 billion dollar destruction of their infrastructure and fouling of their once beautiful Beirut beach.

I guess our "war on terror" should be renamed "war on non-Israeli terror".
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by petersoall-2009 September 6, 2006 2:04 PM PDT
great job!! You are the best and always have been. I watched you every day for the past 15 years and loved it! I wish you the best. However I will miss you during the olympics time. A loyal fan. Allan from Salt Lake City Utah
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by klar238 September 6, 2006 2:05 PM PDT
Great broadcast last night! I am really glad you are back on the air! Since you left the Today show it has just not been the same.

As for the sign-off...what you said last night was PERFECT! It was just you being you, I wish more celebrities could be like that!

Katie
Lincoln, NE
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by rosinamm September 6, 2006 2:30 PM PDT
Thanks for a very good impression on your first CBS evening. I am looking forward to your interview with the President. What I like about your interviewing style is your ability to ask tough questions without being rude! (unlike some interviewers!) I am counting on your continued professionalism.

I really liked someone's suggestion of "Be well, America." as your sign off. My personal preference is "God be with you", but I know you dare NOT mention God! Heaven Forbid!

My personal wish for you, Katie is "God's best to you". I really think you deserve His best.
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by lizzyson September 6, 2006 2:51 PM PDT
Since I became a young widow many years ago, I decided to try and enjoy every day. I am sure Katie can relate and maybe her sign off should reflect living your life to the fullest. Something along the lines of: relax, smile and enjoy your life may be a good sign off.

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by tonypache September 6, 2006 3:04 PM PDT
I have just written a respectful but critical review of Ms. Couric..and guess what: CBS has removed it. So much for free speech and free press huh?!!!!! Let's see how long this one lasts posted... keep an eye on this one.
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