Katie Couric speaks after CBS announced that Norah O’Donnell will be replaced by male co-hosts on the CBS Evening News After the presidential elections in 2024.
ua The New York Times guest essay Sunday, August 11, Couric — who anchored CBS Evening News from 2006 to 2011 — called out the network’s decision to have Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson co-host the nightly broadcast.
“It was more than a little disappointing to read that Ms. O’Donnell will be replaced by two men, John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois,” Couric wrote. “Don’t get me wrong: I know, love and respect these two journalists. But soon there will be four male hosts on the big three networks.”
From left: John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois.
Daniel Zuchnik/Variety via Getty; Noam Galai/Getty
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She continued: “Yes, the talented Margaret Brennan will be contributing news from the Washington bureau for CBS, but the two people who will be greeting Americans watching the CBS evening news will be men.”
The 67-year-old journalist expressed concern about who would make editorial decisions for the show, saying: “More importantly, three people behind scene, who will make most of the editorial decisions, will be three white men: Bill Owens, Guy Campanile and Jerry Cipriano.
Despite praising Cipriano for supporting her during her time on the news program, she explained that “male writers occasionally have blind spots” and highlighted the importance of this election cycle.
“We are also in the midst of a campaign that could result in the election of the first woman president and the first woman of color as president. It’s a potentially historic story — one that needs a diverse group of journalists to cover it,” she explained.
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Katie Couric at the 2023 American Ballet Theater Fall Gala at David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center on October 24, 2023 in New York City.
Michael Loccisano/Getty
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She went on to reflect on her own experience on the network, where she became the first solo host CBS Evening News.
“Nearly 20 years ago, I wanted to be the face of the CBS Evening News because I knew that for audiences — especially little girls and boys watching at dinner time — the image of a solo anchor could be a game-changer,” she said. . “Whether it’s politics, sports or other fields that were once dominated by men, seeing diversity in leadership fuels our imaginations about who can and should fill those roles.”
“Incoming anchors and executives will be tailoring the evening news for an aging audience — when you watch the commercials, it’s pretty obvious which demographic is tuning in — but the broadcast still draws more than four million viewers on average every night,” she continued. “It’s strange and more than a little unconscionable that even though CBS has announced a restructuring that introduces an additional layer of women at the helm, the top decision-making editors will be mostly men.”
CBS did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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Norah O’Donnell attends the 44th News Emmy Awards at Palladium Times Square on September 27, 2023 in New York City.
Cindy Ord/Getty
Last month, O’Donnell confirmed that she was stepping down as anchor and editor-in-chief CBS Evening News but will remain at the network and transition to a new role as a senior correspondent for CBS News. He will conduct high-profile interviews that will air across the network’s platforms, including broadcast, streaming, digital and Paramount+.
An experienced journalist will also contribute CBS Evening News, 60 minutes and CBS News on Sunday mornings.
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“I love what I do and am so fortunate to work with the best journalists and people in the business,” O’Donnell, 50, wrote in a July 30 staff memo. “Together, our team has won Emmy, Murrow, and DuPont awards. We managed to anchor ourselves in the studio through COVID; we broadcast en route from aircraft carriers to the Middle East and around the world. We had the privilege of conducting a historic interview with Pope Francis. There is so much work to be proud of!”
“But I spent 12 years in the anchor chair here at CBS News, tied to the daily grind and the rigors of the relentless news cycle,” she continued. “It’s time to do something different.”
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Source: HIS Education