Katie Couric goes to the back of the class

Katie Couric took her final bow on The Today Show this morning, exiting the NBC program after 15 years so she can move over to CBS and become the new anchor of the evening news. Almost the entirety of this morning’s Today Show was dedicated to Ms. Couric’s departure, with a heavy eye toward mawkishness and sap-latent montages.

If there was one thing, though, that became ever-apparent as the forced tour down memory lane progressed, it was just how horrifically unprepared Ms. Couric is to take helm of a serious news outfit. The portions of her career on morning television that seemed ripe for highlight reel placement were almost universally of a gimmicky nature. There was Ms. Couric carrying an Olympic torch, racing her colleague in a snowmobile, dancing in the studio, performing an Elvis Presley impression, playing with animals and wearing odd outfits. They were all stunts ideal for a morning show audience composed of bleary-eyed homemakers sipping coffee and they were all further proof that what Ms. Couric has done in her career to date in no way prepared her for one of the most serious news gigs in all of media.

As I wrote on this site after the announcement of Ms. Couric’s move was made:

An anchor is both a newsman and a television personality, but the former quality ought to always outweigh the latter. In Mr. Couric’s case, these standards are entirely backwards, as a valuable smile seems to now matter more in the halls of CBS than veteran reporting status or political intellect.

NBC has posted a series of video clips on The Today Show website, reflecting on Ms. Couric’s stint at the network and bidding her goodbye. These, coupled with what was shown on air this morning (and there is a tremendous overlap), are a gentle reminder that this is a television personality trained and skilled in the art of smiling wide, playing games and perpetuating an Oprah Winfrey-style charisma.

Indeed, Ms. Couric lacks the candor of Brian Williams, insight of Peter Jennings, composure of Walter Cronkite, simplistic brilliance of Tim Russert and fiery drive of Edward R. Murrow. But, alas, CBS News has shown a willingness to turn cheap tricks with its evening news outfit and Ms. Couric is one eager john.

In the end, of course, it is NBC that wins. The Today Show may be sans one of its modern icons, but Mr. Williams’ extraordinary evening news program is now assured to be sans at least one serious competitor for the time being.