Katie Couric Interview: Empathy, Confidence, and the Art of Storytelling in Journalism

Katie Couric reflects on her middle class upbringing, and how she identified with both her mother's creativity and her father's writing skills. Couric recalls entering the competitive television industry, initially facing criticism, but persisting through practice and self-confidence. Couric emphasizes preparation, active listening, stresses the responsibility of journalists to ask tough questions, hold public officials accountable, and maintain composure during significant events. Katie Couric is the TV host and journalist who anchored The CBS Evening News from 2006-11. She previously was the host of the NBC morning program The Today Show from 1991 through 2006. Katie Couric worked for CNN and ABC early in her career, also reporting in Miami and Washington, D.C. She joined NBC News in 1989 and the Today show in 1990, becoming permanent co-anchor in 1991. With her perky attitude and no-holds-barred interviewing style, Katie Couric boosted the show’s sagging ratings and became one of morning TV’s most popular personalities. Her husband, Jay Monahan, died in 1998 of colon cancer, and in 1999 Couric co-founded a non-profit organization for cancer research and education. In 2001, Katie Couric signed a new contract to remain with The Today Show through 2006. When that contract ended, she announced to Today Show viewers in 2006 that she would leave the show to become the anchor of The CBS Evening News. Couric made her debut on the evening news broadcast in 2006. After five years, she announced in 2011 that she had decided to step down from the job. From the 2013 PBS Documentary “Makers: Women Who Make America”, examines how women have helped shape America over the past 150 years, striving for a full and fair share of political power and economic opportunity. Subscribe for access to interviews, series, films, and educational materials that address issues of social justice, history, politics, the arts, and culture by spotlighting relatable human stories of purpose and meaning. Learn about our work and how to support our mission here: https://www.lifestories.org/. For extended versions of these interviews and more, visit: https://www.youtube.com/@lifestoriesinterviewarchive Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifestoriesinterviews/ Katie Couric, Journalist Interview Date: September 12, 2011 Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:07 Childhood 06:00 Breaking into journalism 11:02 Finding success 13:33 Covering the Pentagon 17:55 Today show 22:05 Calm under pressure 24:56 Conducting interviews 29:02 Leaving Today 33:18 CBS Evening News 39:49 60 Minutes 40:47 Work-life balance 41:24 Losing Jay 48:56 Raising awareness for cancer 53:56 Financial health 54:59 Ambition 58:15 The women’s movement 01:02:18 Sarah Palin interview 01:06:09 Q&A ©Kunhardt Productions & McGee Media. All rights reserved. #KatieCouric #KunhardtFilmFoundation