The Many-Splendored Couric
With perilous conditions at most daily newspapers, THE SCRAPBOOK finds itself lying awake at night, haunted by an ominous thought: If they run out of newspapers, what will become of the Pulitzer Prizes?
To be sure, the Pulitzers are usually a case of the New York Times and the Washington Post rewarding each other on an annual basis--prizes for Bob Herbert and David Ignatius can't be far off--but with the Times more or less selling apples on the street corner, and the Post relentlessly "streamlining" and "reorganizing" its shrinking product, the Pulitzer people might be reduced to recognizing newspapers in flyover country.
THE SCRAPBOOK thought of this the other day when our attention was drawn to some unexpected news: Katie Couric had won the Walter Cronkite Award for special achievement in journalism, fast on the heels of her Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast!
In a ceremony at the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California, Katie received her Walter Cronkite Award from Annenberg dean (and veteran journalism pontificator) Geneva Overholser, for her "critically acclaimed coverage of the historic 2008 presidential election." (Translation: For her hostile interview with Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.) Of course, it is fair to speculate whether the Walter Cronkite Award would have gone to Katie if that interview had not damaged Palin's candidacy, but THE SCRAPBOOK prefers not to think cynical thoughts.
Instead, we're delighted by these back-to-back Murrow/Cronkite kudos, and happy for Katie! But we're also a little concerned as well. For even as daily newspapers are sinking below the waterline, the audience for network news is steadily shrinking.
You could argue that a significant percentage of Americans tuned into Edward R. Murrow or Walter Cronkite in their day; you can make no such argument for Katie Couric, whose ratings have diminished steadily since her rise to anchorhood. As everybody knows, with the invention of the Internet, and the proliferation of websites, blogs, cable TV, and New Media generally, fewer and fewer Americans rely on such programs as the CBS Evening News or NBC -Nightly News for news or information.
And yet, as we see this week, just as the Big Three networks have begun to fade, the eponymous prizes that journalists award each other seem to proliferate--almost in proportion to the decline of the mainstream media. That's how somebody like Katie Couric wins both the Walter Cronkite and the Edward R. Murrow awards at a moment when the vast majority of Americans are tuning out Katie Couric.
If this trend continues, with luck, THE SCRAPBOOK will soon be reading about Bryant Gumbel winning the Bill Moyers Award, Bill Moyers winning the Bryant Gumbel Award, Brian Williams receiving the prize for lifetime achievement in network news (the John Cameron Swayze Award?) from the hands of Charlie Gibson, and Charlie Gibson and Brian Williams tying for next year's Katie Couric Award.
See you at the Annenberg School!
There Can Only Be One
When the president speaks, he demands your undivided attention. There mustn't be any visual distractions, such as glaring billboards or other improper messaging. So when Barack Obama gave a talk on the economy last week at Georgetown University--the nation's oldest Catholic institution of higher learning--his advisers told campus officials to please cover up the cross and the letters "IHS," etched into a pediment center-stage, just above where the president would speak. In case you are wondering, the letters represent the name of Jesus Christ. Writes Julia Duin in her Washington Times Belief Blog:
Julie Bataille from the university's press office e-mailed me that the White House had asked that all university signage and symbols behind the stage in Gaston Hall be covered. "The White House wanted a simple backdrop of flags and pipe and drape for the speech, consistent with what they've done for other policy speeches," she wrote. "Frankly, the pipe and drape wasn't high enough by itself to fully cover the IHS and cross above the GU seal and it seemed most respectful to have them covered so as not to be seen out of context."
Of course, university officials happily complied, covering the letters up with what seems to be blackened plywood. And we're pretty sure if Obama asked them to dismantle the crosses atop the buildings before his arrival, they would have broken out the ladders for that too.
But concerning the question of context, was the administration really worried people would wonder why the letters representing Christ were adorning the wall of a Catholic school? Or was the worry about people confusing the one with The One? (Keep in mind, Obama skillfully managed to deliver a speech mentioning the Sermon on the Mount without mentioning the name of the person who first delivered it.)
Perish the Thought Dept.
"But in a larger sense, if it weren't for Spinal Tap, there would not only be no Anvil! documentary, there also might be no Borat, The Colbert Report, The Office or Behind the Music" ( Newsweek, April 20).
Financial Crisis Swamps Academia:Women and Minorities Hardest Hit
Last week Mark Wrighton, the chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, sent a letter to the university community. Wrighton was warning about the effects of the current recession: "[T]he speed and depth of the downturn is an unprecedented experience for most of us," he wrote. "I remain confident about Washington University's long-term financial well-being. However, we will most likely face significant financial problems in the next several years."
Fortunately for Wash U, Wrighton and a steering committee have completed a study called the "Plan for Excellence" to help the university navigate these rocky shoals. The Board of Trustees met last month to "discuss the objectives stemming from the Plan," Wrighton explains. And here Wrighton gets to the truly good news: "The Board embraced five broad priorities for the next 10 years."
And would you like to know what Washington University's very first priority is to deal with an economic meltdown that has wiped out a quarter of the school's endowment? "(1) Strengthen diversity and improve gender balance and inclusiveness in all segments of the University community."
Don't worry about Wash U. They're in good hands.
Help Wanted
Charles Krauthammer seeks a research assistant for a one- or two-year term. Send resume to job@charleskrauthammer.com.