I'm not at all surprised to hear about their falling ratings. I've thought for a long time now that Katie is just not right for that position. She's made it this far because of the cuteness factor. She's not what I'd called a heavyweight in the journalism arena. There are plenty of other women out there who would keep the ratings up just fine.

Also ... there's something really offputting about the eye contact she makes. It's not direct and open but sort of closed off and sideways. Hard to describe. But it's a presence or a look that doesn't inspire confidence. She looks like she's holding back or hiding something. This may sound nuts, but it's true. Watch her. You'll see what I mean.

It's not a sexism thing. She was never right for that position for a number of reasons. Diane Sawyer would be a better choice.

How much does the "Katie Couric demographic" and the "nightly news watching demographic" overlap? I watched Katie Couric's first broadcast, just to see what the fuss was about. (I've never watched the Today show except when I was home sick from work, but I don't have anything against Katie Couric). But I haven't watched since then.

The nightly news seems like a quaint anacronism to me. If I want news, I'll go online. Or if I want to hear about breaking news, I'll turn to a headline news channel. I occasionally watch one of the local news reports, since I can't get local news as easily online. But tune in at 6:30 pm every night to get national news? Why?

The idea that common environmental chemicals contribute to breast cancer isn't new; this is the latest in a long string of studies showing strong evidence of an environmental link to breast cancer.

However, the issue doesn't get nearly as much press attention as detection or the search for a cure. That may be in part because the media message on breast cancer is driven largely by a single organization, the Komen Foundation, with its ever-present pink ribbons. Komen has chosen not to focus on eliminating carcinogens from the environment.

It's hard to see this as a coincidence or well-intentioned mistake; Komen gets significant funding not just from companies that sell breast cancer detection equipment and treatment regimes, but in some cases from the chemical manufacturers who are contributing to the problem in the first place.

Couric is a television celebrity, not a journalist. As such, she is emblematic of the decline of the evening news format (pretty boy Brian Williams is no better, nor is Charlie Gibson who strongly implied in a recent San Francisco Chronicle interview that he's ok with reporters acting as stenographers).

I disagree with Anonymous about Diane Sawyer. She, like most network news personalities, is far too comfortable with her fame and wealth to seriously report anything discomforting to the status quo.

Christiane Amanpour, on the other hand, has the street cred of a heavyweight journalist who would actually be interesting to watch on a nightly basis. Unfortunately, because she's willing to criticize the powers-that-be, she'll never get the opportunity.

She does a short "A Page From Katie's Notebook" segment during the noon news. It's meant to be a teaser for what she's going to talk about that evening. EVERY time I've seen the teaser segment it's been either "See how [blah blah blah] may be damaging your kids," or "is [porn/the Internet/Internet porn] hurting your marriage?" If I wanted to hear pointless whining like that I'd pick up one of the checkout line housekeeping magazines.

Is there anything in that notebook of hers about politics, the enviroment, or the economy? No, of course not. She's made that quite clear by calling it by a cutesy name, "Katie's Notebook," rather than something strong and declarative such as "The Couric Dispatch/Declaration/Record." Names and words matter! Of course, I'm responding to an article in Salon's pink ghetto, so maybe Katsie-poo's diary should appeal to me :(

How happy am I that the Supreme Court has upheld my right to travel outside the state for a medical procedure for which ten years of government refuse to legislate. One of the HSE's arguments was that she would be commiting a crime under Irish law (getting an abortion but not being suicidal. Y'see if she'd just acted up a bit...)so that made me think that we're going to have everyone going to Amsterdam (smoking weed is illegal in Ireland)stopped by the courts from travelling. No doubt oddball single men travelling to Thailand would be suspect as would any Irish person travelling to Vegas and all those legal brothels...but no. No sign of oppression as those 'crimes under Irish law' do not pertain to women and their reproductive rights. Life in a democracy, kids, I tell ye...!

If Katie Couric would make it her mission to report on matters of substance, in a form that is not disgustingly deferential to those in power, I'd be her number one fan. Instead I watch Amy Goodman because that is exactly what she does.

It's not Couric's fault, of course. She would be out of a job faster than you could say "Ashleigh Banfield" if she attempted to emulate Goodman. None of the major networks do real journalism any more, resorting instead to gimmickry in pursuit of ever-dwindling evening news ratings while simultaneously avoiding presenting anything of real substance.

While sexism still rules the media, in this case it is definitely NOT a woman thing....it is a Katie Couric thing for sure.

For this old war horse feminist, Katie is just too cute for words and when she tries to come off as hard nosed journalist in interviews she appears whiny and silly and over-personal. It seems to be always about her, in a self conscious manner that deprives viewer of access to information.

I quit looking at the NBC morning show years ago and have only gone back to it now that Meredith Vieira is there. Katie deserves to flop and is doing it not because folks are against women, but because they are sensible to actual reporting instead of the insipidity that they get from her.

It is time for feminsts of all genders to stop charging sexism when a female simply fails on her own merits.

Couric is the original female news reader who never really paid her journalism dues and knows little about journalistic professionalism. If she wants to be on the airwaves, give her a talk show. Then give the prime time news to someone who gives a damn about the news instead of fluffing up the content of a supposed news show.

Back to Dan Rather please, or to a female professional news reporter who knows how to do it.