Katie Couric, the previous anchor of CBS Evening News, weighed in on the community’s latest overhaul of the nightly broadcast, calling it “greater than a bit of disappointing” that Norah O’Donnell’s successors might be two male anchors.
The community not too long ago introduced that John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois can be anchoring CBS Night Information after O’Donnell’s steps down following the November election.
Couric wrote in an op ed in The New York Occasions, “Don’t get me flawed: I do know, like and respect these two journalists. However quickly, on the large three networks, there might be 4 male anchors. Sure, the proficient Margaret Brennan might be contributing tales from the Washington bureau for CBS, however the two individuals who might be greeting People watching the CBS night newscast might be males.”
As Couric famous, after the change, the three broadcast networks’ night newscasts all might be anchored by males, with Lester Holt at NBC and David Muir at ABC. Brennan, moderator of Face the Nation, might be a daily contributor to the CBS broadcast, main protection of political information from Washington, D.C.
The information division is overseen by a girl, Wendy McMahon, who’s CEO of CBS News and Stations. Final week, McMahon unveiled a new leadership structure on the community, with Adrienne Roark and Jennifer Mitchell taking over expanded roles. Roark was named president of editorial and newsgathering for CBS Information and Stations, and Mitchell was named president of stations and digital for the division.
Couric wrote, “Almost 20 years in the past, I wished to be the face of “CBS Night Information” as a result of I knew that for the viewers — particularly little ladies and little boys watching at time for supper — the picture of a solo girl anchor may very well be sport altering. Whether or not it’s in politics, sports activities or different once-male-dominated fields, seeing range in management evokes our creativeness about who can and will fill these roles.
“The incoming anchors and executives might be curating the night information for an ageing viewers — once you watch the commercials, it’s fairly evident which demographic is tuning in — however the broadcast nonetheless attracts over 4 million viewers on common each night time. It’s odd and greater than a bit of out of contact that even whereas CBS has announced a restructuring that introduces an extra layer of ladies executives, the main editorial determination makers will largely be males.”
Invoice Owens, the manager producer of 60 Minutes, will tackle added duties as supervising producer of the CBS Night Information.
O’Donnell, who has anchored since 2019, will proceed on the community as senior correspondent, with a give attention to “huge get” interviews. She was the second girl to solo anchor the CBS Night Information, after Couric led the printed from 2006 to 2011. Connie Chung co-anchored the newscast with Dan Fairly from 1993 to 1995.
Couric famous that CBS Information father or mother Paramount World is within the midst of widespread employees and price reducing, whereas the nightly newscasts don’t have the influence that the as soon as did.
“However even an trade which will at some point be absolutely seen as a relic of a bygone period must be conscious of societal adjustments which have swept the nation,” she wrote, noting the influence of ladies athletes on the Olympics and the likelihood {that a} girl might be elected president this fall.
