The Couric Effect

Pickily-Perkily
Co-host Katie Couric
Spent 15 years helping
Today win big.

Scores of accomplishments
Unimaginable
(One colorectal), she's
Earned her new gig

Yesterday was Katie Couric's last day hosting the Today Show. In the fall, she'll take over as the anchor of the CBS Evening News, which has not had a permanent anchor since Dan Rather retired last year. She'll be the first solo female anchor of an evening network news program. There's been a lot of public speculation as to whether the job is the right fit for her. Given the difference between her new job and the one she's been doing for the past 15 years, it's reasonable to speculate about the transition. However, the questions have an inherently sexist quality; had Matt Lauer been offered the job, it's unlikely that his personality would come under such heavy scrutiny.

I am an unabashed Katie Couric fan. She's the reason I watch the Today show, although I enjoy the chemistry of the entire team. I have been consistently impressed with her ability to balance hard-hitting news stories with light segments. She comes across as genuinely compassionate and empathetic when interviewing trauma survivors and, similarly, appears to genuinely enjoy herself on the show. And her decision to have a colonoscopy on the show after losing her husband to colon cancer was extraordinary. Research indicated that her action inspired many viewers to follow suit. Her influence was dubbed, "the Couric Effect." I'll miss waking up each morning to her.