Eye on Katie on the Eye

It appears that the major U.S. news item this week (give or take an alleged White House leak) concerned the news industry itself. Katie Couric, an announcer on 'Today', a popular morning program aired by the National Broadcasting Company, has agreed to become the lead anchor for the flagship evening newscast of the Columbia Broadcasting System.

By no means does this page watch CBS News on any regular or frequent basis: the last time I saw a CBS newscast, the Iranian hostages were stepping off the plane. However, it is important to note the historic impact that CBS Anchors have gathered over the years in relating the days events. In the 1950's, Edward R. Murrow stood up to Senator Joseph McCarthy and his attempt to smear hundreds of Americans as Communist sympathizers. In the 1960's, Walter Cronkite sent himself to Vietnam to see the war for himself, and upon his return helped turn American public opinion against that war. In the 1980's, Dan Rather had no problems running with stories like Iran-Contra to the point that right-wingers to this day still scream about a 'liberal bias' at CBS.

Will Couric continue this tradition of iconoclastic, firebrand journalism in her new role at the CBS Evening News? Highly unlikely, given her reputation as a 'soft news' specialist. Here's hoping she's seen Good Night and Good Luck, and something stuck, particularly the fact that Murrow could do puffball celebrity interviews just like Katie AND stare down Washington's bullies on the same shift.