Broadcast Journalism

Hi everyone and welcome to my blog! I look forward to this upcoming semester and learning further about leadership and organizations. I have chosen an area of concentration in broadcast journalism. Shows like Good Morning America, the Today Show, 20/20, and Dateline are all examples of how the news and current events are relayed in the media. Having grown up watching these shows, I have developed an interest in this field and admired their prominant leaders, such as Barbara Walters, Katie Couric, and Peter Jennings.

Since 1991, Katie Couric has been a co-anchor for The Today Show. Over her tenure as a correspondent for The Today Show, as well as Dateline NBC, she has conducted numerous interviews with prominent leaders and other well-known figures. She is innovative in her interviewing style and has risen to become one of the most well-respected journalists of the day. In addition to her work for The Today Show, she has been granted the privilege to conduct independent prime-time specials. By 2006, she broadcasted CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, in which she was anchor and managing editor. In recognition for her work, Katie won two Emmys, an APA (Associated Press Award), the National Headliner Award, and the Sigma Delta Chi award given by the Society of Professional Journalists, just to name a few. Another honor bestowed upon Katie is that she is one of only five women to be repeatedly ranked as one of the world’s most influential people by Time Magazine.

Katie Couric is an example of one who embodies principles of a political archetype. She is constantly using relationships to enhance her career. By her interviewing such prominent figures in society, she gains credibility and a wider fan base. As a result, she uses her fame for good, taking advantage of her position to help others less well off than she. For example, she broadcasted her mammogram on The Today Show in order to help spread breast cancer awareness. As an influential leader in the broadcast journalism industry, she uses the media to help influence society by promoting awareness of a spectrum of issues. As technology grows and advances in today’s world, Katie uses it to her advantage in order to help the common good. As a leader, one must excel in personal relations, organization, knowledge, and culture. Without a doubt, Katie fulfills these four categories. She is often regarded as one of the best interviewers, as those she interviews are comfortable with her and often times request her specifically. She is patient and a good listener, always calm and composed. For example, it was only Katie Couric who was allowed to first interview Hilary Clinton when she became first lady. Furthermore, Katie uses knowledge in her work, keeping up to date with current events, researching adequately before her interviews, as well as having common sense, which has helped propel her upwards into such a high position. She manages her finances in a strict manner, and although she is one of the wealthiest women, she is never ostentatious or spends irrationally. Katie is also organizational in that she is extremely innovative and creative. She has captured a loyal audience due to her charisma and ability to relay the news, especially as she is able to relate the topics to her audience. Lastly, Katie embodies the cultural aspect of a leader. She is always looking to society to see what her audience wants to hear about. She looks to the future and maintains a vision in which enables her to stay on the edge of the time. Her style as a leader reflects her independence, strength of character, and adeptness in interviewing. Katie Couric will always be known as one of the first women in television broadcasting to lead a generation.