Katie Couric Hits Back at Critics

people ^ | 10/30/06 | Stephen M. Silverman

[MAD-AS-HELL]

The ratings for Katie Couric's CBS Evening News may be down – but the upbeat anchor isn't.

Claiming that despite her third-place ranking among the major three network newscasts, she's "feeling great" and "having a great time," Couric tells USA Today, "We kind of ignore people who are observing everything we do and praising, criticizing or analyzing it, and we're just doing what we want."

Couric, who delivered a ratings wallop with her Sept. 5 debut, says that being in first place "was never an expectation by anyone at CBS News, and it shouldn't have been an expectation by anyone in the outside world. Viewing habits are slow to turn around."

As such, she notes, "Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will The CBS Evening News. It's a process, and being in the middle of the process, while it's sometimes challenging and can be frustrating, that's really in many ways the fun part."

She adds, "I'm hearing incredibly positive things from people who really appreciate the fact we're trying new things. Not everything is going to work. I knew that coming in."

Among the highlights was last week's interview with Michael J. Fox a day after radio host Rush Limbaugh accused the actor of not taking his Parkinson's disease medicine in order to accentuate his symptoms while shooting a commercial for a Democratic candidate favoring stem cell research.

Couric considered Thursday's interview with Fox "absolutely riveting TV, not to mention an important news story."

But because the Q&A was lengthy, the newscast's widely criticized Free Speech segment didn't run that night. Yet as Couric says, "We never said it was going to run every night. We said from the outset that we're going to try new things and we may adjust and re-evaluate, but that doesn't mean 'Oh, it's not working.' "

And the criticism? Bring it on, she says, "if it's based on facts or from reporters who take the time to watch the program. But when they make snap judgments or do a kind of lemming-like journalism, that's when I'm disappointed."

Then again, proving she's still as tough as she is upbeat, she adds, "People have to sell newspapers and take shots, but I understand that's part of their jobs."

[MAD-AS-HELL]

Couric tells USA Today, "We kind of ignore people who are observing everything we do and praising, criticizing or analyzing it, and we're just doing what we want."

Katie, as you ignore those who trash you, a whole lot more are ignoring your program because you are not a credible news person. Better make sure you have invested your money well. You won't be anchoring much longer

[NittanyLion]

Couric tells USA Today, "We kind of ignore people who are observing everything we do and praising, criticizing or analyzing it, and we're just doing what we want."

Some business call those "people" their "customers". Successful businesses give them what they want; arrogant businesses ignore them and go bankrupt as a result.

[evets]

Couric is a demoncrat tool.

[jdm]

"Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will The CBS Evening News.

Yeah, but CBS has had some 70 odd years to build (already). FOX has had, what, 10 years?

[wagglebee]

Claiming that despite her third-place ranking among the major three network newscasts, she's "feeling great" and "having a great time," Couric tells USA Today, "We kind of ignore people who are observing everything we do and praising, criticizing or analyzing it, and we're just doing what we want."

If network news was run the way a sports team, a corporation or even a network prime-time TV show was run, Katie would already be out of a job. In the prime time TV ratings, if a new show is consistently last in it's time slot, it gets yanked, seeBS would do the same with Katie except they have no one else to go to.

[sarasota]

"...we're just doing what we want." I'd call that a clue.

[Texas Eagle]

As such, she notes, "Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will The CBS Evening News. It's a process...

Yeah. So is decomposition.

[jdm]

Last time I saw a woman wearing boots like that, my neighbors dialed me up to say, "Hey, we just saw you on COPS!" /sarc

[dead]

We kind of ignore people who are observing everything we do

They exist in numbers easy to ignore.

[Vasilli22]

Exactly!

I think if my boss ever calls me into his office to discuss my lack of production I'll just simply tell him that "I'm just doing what I want and having a great time!" That will work I'm sure.

[DManA]

What does she care, she's got an unbreakable contract.

[CAWats]

I read somewhere that her ratings in the L.A. markets is 1.1.

[Kenton]

Couric tells USA Today, "We kind of ignore people who are observing everything we do and praising, criticizing or analyzing it, and we're just doing what we want."

Same with the Dixie Chicks. Remember them? Thery used to be a popular country group, but now they have to go to other countries to sell out a concert.

[justshutupandtakeit]

So what is the over/under on her termination? I figure they will start phasing her out after Jan 1.

[redstates4ever]

[ozzymandus]

What does she care about the ratings? She has a contract!

[avacado]

"As such, she notes, "Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will The CBS Evening News. It's a process, and being in the middle of the process, while it's sometimes challenging and can be frustrating,..."

Gee, democracies aren't built in a day either you frikin' brainless asshat but that doesn't stop you from trashing America and Iraq as they struggle forward in the noblest of all pursuits: LIBERTY AND FREEDOM FOR THE OPPRESSED!

[traditional1]

"lemming-like journalism"

I think the sign off has been found!

[redstates4ever]