entertainment

Couric condemns CBS sexism.

Old, white male executives making decisions about who gets to anchor the news is infuriating. Couric speaks out against the CBS decision to replace veteran female journalist Norah O'Donnell with—you guessed it—two men. The move is not only regressive but also a tone-deaf attempt to ignore the changing landscape of media and the demands of viewers for more diverse representation.

Published August 12, 2024 at 10:56am by Saman Shafiq

Katie Couric Slams CBS For Tone-Deaf Decision To Replace Norah O'Donnell With Male Anchors

Katie Couric is calling out CBS News for its "out of touch" decision to replace Norah O'Donnell with not one but two male anchors. In a powerful op-ed for the New York Times, Couric expressed her disappointment in the network's choice, especially given the current social and political climate.

It’s odd and more than a little out of touch that even while CBS has announced a restructuring that introduces an additional layer of women executives, the leading editorial decision-makers will mostly be men.

The renowned journalist highlighted the recent progress made by women in various fields, including the historic parity of women athletes at the Paris Olympics 2024 and Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, which could result in the election of the first female president and the first woman of color as president. In this context, Couric argued, it is crucial to have a diverse group of journalists covering these potentially historic stories.

While CBS has made some strides towards diversity with the recent appointments of Adrienne Roark and Jennifer Mitchell as part of a larger organizational shift, the replacement of O'Donnell—the third female solo anchor of a network evening newscast—by John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois feels like a step backward.

Couric, who herself served as a trailblazing lead and solo anchor at "CBS Evening News" from 2006 to 2011, wanted to inspire a generation of young boys and girls watching her at dinnertime. She understands the importance of representation and the impact it can have on breaking down gender barriers.

Whether it’s in politics, sports or other once-male-dominated fields, seeing diversity in leadership inspires our imagination about who can and should fill these roles.

Couric also pointed out the subtle sexism that still exists in media organizations, recalling her experience at CBS with a predominantly male editorial team. She noted that even with the best intentions, male writers can have blind spots, as evidenced by a copy on Hillary Clinton she once saw that exhibited subtle sexism.

Couric's piece is a timely reminder that even as society progresses, we must remain vigilant in our efforts to promote diversity and inclusion, especially in industries that shape public discourse and influence cultural norms.

The full op-ed can be found here.