Topic: Katie Couric

Katie Couric faced criticism for comments suggesting that Donald Trump's supporters are motivated by a jealousy of "intellectual elites." The hosts recall Couric's early career at NBC, specifically a 1994 segment where she and Bryant Gumbel struggled to understand the concept of the internet and "electronic mail." They characterize her as a "working stooge" for the globalist elite.

Journalist Katie Couric reflects on a Gallup poll showing that public trust in newspapers and television news has hit an all-time low. Couric questions whether the current state of journalism is doing "more harm than good" for society. The segment also notes the shift in media terminology from "insurrectionist" to "election denier" when describing political dissent.

Jeff Zucker resigns from CNN following the disclosure of a romantic relationship with executive Allison Gollust. Radar Online claims they had been reporting on the "open secret" for years, despite Zucker's claims that the relationship only changed recently. The hosts discuss Gollust's rapid ascent at NBC and CNN, questioning if it was based on talent or her relationship with Zucker.

Katie Couric participated in a "Privilege Walk" at Columbia University for her new show "America Inside Out." The exercise, which involves students stepping forward or backward based on their life advantages, is critiqued as a method of inducing guilt regarding "white privilege."

The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang face criticism regarding restrictive media coverage and the inclusion of "Olympic Athletes from Russia" (OAR) following doping scandals. NBC commentator Katie Couric is criticized for inaccurately claiming that residents of Amsterdam use frozen canals as a primary mode of transportation. A personal anecdote involving a Kenyan Uber driver in Austin, Texas, includes a claim that Barack Obama is fluent in Swahili but hides it for political reasons.

A retrospective analysis compares Donald Trump's media attacks to the Obama administration's 2009 "war" on Fox News. Archival clips from CBS and Katie Couric illustrate how the Obama White House attempted to delegitimize Fox News as a "communications arm of the Republican Party." The segment also references Spiro Agnew's famous "nattering nabobs of negativism" quote to show a long history of executive-press tension.

Katie Couric and the director of the documentary "Under the Gun" are accused of deceptive editing after a raw audio recording proved they inserted eight seconds of silence to make gun rights advocates appear stumped. While "Morning Joe" and Chuck Todd discussed the controversy, the hosts point out that none of the pundits had actually watched the full clip. This is cited as a prime example of mainstream media "scrubbing" and bias.

The hosts discuss the "cultural Marxism" of the EU leadership, referring to incoming Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker as "Junker the Drunk." They engage in lewd speculation about how women attain high-ranking positions in Brussels and reference rumors from a Katie Couric book regarding Diane Sawyer's career tactics.

An interview conducted by Katie Couric for Yahoo News with James Foley's siblings, Michael and Kate, is analyzed for potential staging. During the broadcast, a picture frame fell off the wall in what was presented as the family home, yet the subjects showed no reaction, suggesting a studio set. Additionally, the presence of a Starbucks cup and the use of IFB earpieces by the interviewees raised questions about the authenticity of the "home" environment.

The hosts discuss Jill Abramson's appointment as the first female executive editor of The New York Times. They critique her public speaking style and compare her professional trajectory to that of Katie Couric, questioning the importance of being "personable" in high-level media roles.

Hillary Clinton addressed the escalating violence in Syria, noting that President Bashar al-Assad has embraced tactics from Iran to suppress protesters. While the U.S. has not yet called for regime change as it did in Libya, sanctions against Syrian officials are being increased. The administration is monitoring the situation to determine if Assad will honor reform promises.

A segment on CBS News with Katie Couric is criticized for using four soldiers who lost their legs in Afghanistan to argue for continued military presence. The hosts describe the interviews as "disgusting propaganda," where the wounded troops claim that leaving the country prematurely would make their sacrifices meaningless.

The Obama administration is reclassifying US forces in Iraq as non-combat units as troop levels drop toward 50,000 by August 31, 2010. Media reports from Katie Couric suggest this transition may be misleading, as violence remains high and political instability persists. The hosts note that private contractors and consultants are not included in the withdrawal figures.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is interviewed by Katie Couric regarding the administration's political strategy and the "sweetheart deal" given to Nebraska in the healthcare bill. Couric is noted for her unusually aggressive questioning during the segment.

Katie Couric's "Copenhagen Notebook" segment is analyzed, where she addresses the ClimateGate email scandal while standing in front of a green screen. Couric claims that 97% of climatologists still believe in man-made global warming despite the manipulated data. The hosts question the validity of her statistics and the sincerity of the "cap and trade" political movement.

A personal anecdote about reading Sarah Palin's book, "Going Rogue," leads to a discussion on political tribalism and media bias. The book details Palin's frustrations with the 2008 campaign management and her "assassination" by mainstream media outlets like CBS during the Katie Couric interviews. The hosts argue that voters often reject information out of hand without reading the source material, comparing the refusal to read certain books to "virtual book burning."

Adam Curry reviews Sarah Palin's book "Going Rogue" after purchasing it at SFO airport. He describes the text as a "media assassination" in reverse, detailing Palin's perspective on small-town politics and her treatment by the press. The discussion touches on the sexism she faced during the 2008 campaign and the portrayal of events like Troopergate and her interview with Katie Couric.

Nicole Wallace, a former advisor to John McCain, appeared in media reports following criticisms leveled against her in Sarah Palin's new book. The discussion highlights the "incestuous" nature of political media, noting Wallace's connections to liberal hosts like Rachel Maddow and journalists like Katie Couric. Palin's book alleges that campaign interviews were heavily orchestrated by staffers who were more concerned with their own media standing than the candidate's success.

Katie Couric interviewed Glenn Beck on CBS Evening News to promote his new book, "Arguing with Idiots." The segment highlights a conflict of interest, as the book is published by Simon & Schuster, a subsidiary of CBS, effectively using the news broadcast as a corporate marketing tool.

Media coverage of the health care speech is characterized as shallow, comparing Katie Couric's CBS commentary to E! Entertainment's Oscar coverage. While the President's performance is described as a successful "branding" exercise, an audience member was spotted holding a sign asking "What Bill?", highlighting the lack of a specific legislative text being discussed.