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Opening Arguments

Katie's world

Being otherwise occupied at the Bob Dylan concert Tuesday night, I'm afraid I didn't catch the "historic" first broadcast of the CBS News with Katie Couric as anchor. Sounds like I didn't miss much, though:

After Katie Couric was introduced on her first night as "CBS Evening News" anchor by a Walter Cronkite voiceover, she delivered a fast-moving newscast that the legendary newsman might have found unrecognizable.

[. . .]

In almost breathless fashion, she zipped through a handful of headlines: a corporate turnover at Ford, mourning over the killed "crocodile hunter" -- all before the first commercial.

Just what we need in today's complex world, news readers who zing the news by us at breakneck speed so we have even less time to assess its implications. This, I thought, was very telling:

Couric's only real nod to her newbie status came at the end, with a joking report on her difficulties coming up with a signoff. She showed clips of Cronkite, Chet Huntley, Dan Rather, Ted Baxter and even fictitious movie anchorman Ron Burgundy giving their final words, then invited viewers to submit suggestions via the CBS News web site.

She wants viewers to suggest a signoff? Something she can say night after night so it's burned into our brains, remaining long after what she's reported has become a blur? That ain't news -- it's show business.

Posted in: Television

Comments

Laura
Thu, 09/07/2006 - 9:11am

I suspect she may have just been nervous with her new job. Give her some time for crying out loud. Its her first night and you are already raking her over the coals.

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