Couric Likes the Hard Stuff
How wonderful to be a faculty member at the University of Florida — you're actually paid to examine the intricacies of the Today Show (and here we are, just staring at the figure-flattering swimsuit segment, not making a dime). A recent study released by one such faculty member found that CBS-bound Katie Couric actually did less fluff reporting than her co-host Matt Lauer. In an of analysis over 700 stories, Couric only covered 37% of the show's entertainment segments, compared to Lauer, who covered 41%. (To be fair, one "glib" interview with Tom Cruise is worth at least an extra 3% in Lauer's column.)
So why, then, the criticism that Couric's too much of a lightweight to handle the CBS Evening News? Maybe it's something to do with the 17 coats of mascara that stand between her and her predecessors.
