Katie Couric, born on January 7th, 1955, in Arlington Virginia, is a trailblazing American Journalist who has left an impact on the world of Journalism for her compassion and story telling ability. In her high school years Katie wrote for her Yorktown High School paper which is believed to have started her love for journalism.
She attended the University of Virginia and spent the next 4 years obtaining a degree in American Studies. After graduating college in 1979 she did not pursue a career in her major but it still laid the foundation for the next years to come as she followed in her parents footsteps. Katies mother was a writer and her father was journalist so it looks as being a journalist was in her blood the whole time.
She quickly began her career in 1979 the humble position of a news desk assistant at ABC news in Washington, D.C. She then moved on to CNN and later on earned the position of a political correspondent and producer in the 1984 presidential race. After a few years of working at CNN she was hopeful in receiving a full time job as a correspondent, but it seems that CNN overlooked her talents and never offered her the full time position.
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| Katie working at CBS |
She quickly picked up and left to a job that offered her the on camera work she had longed for. In a short span she worked at WTJV in Miami and then WRC-TV in Washington D.C. both under the NBC News branch. In 1989 she was offered to join the large NBC network where she was later on offered to be a reporter on the Today Show.
All of her dreams came true when she was named the Today Show host in 1991, and for the next 15 years she became one of America's well trusted news sources. It became well known that she had a talent of balancing the delivery of harsh news in a warm and compassionate way.
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| Katie's Live Colonoscopy Today Show 2000 |
That day she started something in which doctors called "The Couric effect ". There was a 20% increase in the US after her live screening which measurably increased colon cancer awareness.
2006, she said goodbye to the NBC network and came into the CBS network where she became the first female solo evening news anchor at a major U.S. Network. Saying hello to her old roots she decided to join ABC once more in 2011 where she eventually had her own film production studio called Katie which was a daytime talk show.
Katie Couric's impact goes far beyond just her television role. She has continuously evolved with the industry, always staying one step ahead of other reporters. Through her documentaries, books, and podcast it leaves an impact on one that shows us what it means to be a leader that is truly caring. She is a pioneer for women, and specifically women in journalism, breaking countless glass ceilings, showing others that yes, anything is possible.
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