Apparently still trying to fill the “fake news anchor” void left by the demotion of Brian Williams, NBC is resurrecting Katie Couric to rejoin the cast of Today for Matt Lauer’s 20th anniversary of co-hosting.
Couric, who used to co-host the Today show with Lauer – before she quit for an ill-fated anchor gig at CBS Evening News in 2005, before she moved to a daytime talk show syndicated by ABC in 2011, before she moved to Yahoo News in 2013 – will return to the show for one week beginning on January 2. Couric will be subbing in for Savannah Guthrie, who is currently out on maternity leave.
But Couric is far from being an objective journalist – even by NBC standards. In 2016, Couric produced a headline-making gun control documentary – by splicing together clips from interviews to make Second Amendment advocates look baffled by her questions, when in fact they had responded almost immediately. After initially standing by her documentary, Couric eventually took responsibility for the edit, although she tried to explained away the artificially-added awkward silence as a “beat” added for “’dramatic effect,’ to give the audience a moment to consider the question.”
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During a video promoting her appearance, Couric peered through the zero of a giant “20,” while ominous music played, then said “I see Matt! Happy anniversary! Your worst nightmare is back!”
Current co-hosts Tamron Hall and Carson Daly seemed a bit taken aback by the promo. “...that’s funny,” Daly finally concluded, as Hall burst into laughter.
Before you watch Couric and Lauer’s reunion episode on Monday, here are a few notable moments in bias from the former anchor:
- In 2005, Couric said she “had to take out a loan” to fill up her minivan when gas hit $2.75 (at the time she made at least $15 million hosting Today)
- Couric interviewing President Obama on CBS’s The Early Show, July 22, 2009: “You’re so confident, Mr. President, and so focused. Is your confidence ever shaken? Do you ever wake up and say, ‘Damn, this is hard. Damn, I’m not going to get the things done I want to get done, and it’s just too politicized to really get accomplished the big things I want to accomplish’?”
- Couric described Al Gore as a “Movie Star” while reporting on him testifying before Congress in March of 2007 on CBS Evening News
For even more examples, check out NewsBuster’s recap from when she left her CBS anchor job in 2011: http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/rich-noyes/2011/05/18/reality-check-katie-courics-five-years-cbs-marked-liberal-agenda-and
Transcript follows:
CARSON DALY: 7:30 now on a Friday morning, December 30, 2016. And, ladies and gentlemen, a great day in history. It is our colleague Matt Lauer's birthday today. We’re sending you, Matt, if you’re watching, warm wishes.
And, Tamron, that old question of what do you get the man who has everything could have been written for Matt Lauer.
TAMRON HALL: Well, you know, you give him the hug of his family members. He’s with his kids, I’m sure, and his wife, and just having a good time. But did he request this song? This does not sound like a Matt song.
DALY: No, I’m sure he had nothing to do with it.
HALL: It would be like Steely Dan or something.
DALY: Yeah, I don’t know.
HALL: You’re the music guy! What would you play for Matt?
DALY: I'd play that Rebecca black song, "It's Friday." Because it will drive him crazy.
HALL: Ok. Anyway. Matt will be back on Monday, after celebrating his birthday, and we’ll have another reason to celebrate. So, next week is Matt's 20th anniversary as host of Today. He looks 19. And to mark the occasion, he'll be joined all week by a very special co-host. Yes indeed, Katie Couric. It will be her first time in that role on Today in ten years. Matt, if you're up watching on your birthday, here's a message from Katie. Take a look.
KATIE COURIC: I see Matt! Happy anniversary! Your worst nightmare is back!
DALY: That's funny. It will be fun to watch Katie back next week.
