Katie Couric has voiced her concerns regarding CBS News, describing their recent action of replacing Norah O’Donnell with two male anchors as “out of touch.”

In an opinion piece for the New York Times, Couric expressed her disappointment over CBS’s choice to replace Ms. O’Donnell with John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois. While she holds both men in high regard, the journalist found this decision particularly surprising given the current social and political climate, especially following CBS’s own announcement of promoting more women into leadership positions.

“It’s strange and more than a bit disconnected that, even as CBS is restructuring to add more women executives, the main editorial leadership remains predominantly male,” Couric noted.

Norah O’Donnell revealed in July that she will be stepping down as the lead anchor of “CBS Evening News” after the November elections to pursue a new role at CBS. O’Donnell joins the ranks of female trailblazers as the third female solo anchor of an evening newscast, following in the footsteps of Diane Sawyer from ABC and Katie Couric.

This month, CBS News and Stations announced the appointments of Adrienne Roark as president of editorial and newsgathering, along with Jennifer Mitchell as president of stations and digital, as part of a comprehensive organizational change, according to The Wrap.

Wendy McMahon, CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures, mentioned, “Today marks the start of an exciting chapter as we shape the future of CBS News and Stations.” This new structure aims to lay the groundwork for an innovative news organization for the future.

Roark steps into her editorial role, taking over from Ingrid Ciprián-Matthews, who has moved on to be a senior editorial adviser at CBS News. Longtime CBS News executive Terri Stewart has been appointed as the senior vice president of newsgathering and Wendy Fisher as senior vice president of editorial.

The Importance of Diversity

In light of recent milestones such as the 2024 Paris Olympics where the number of female athletes matched their male counterparts for the first time, and Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign, Couric contended that a significant story about potentially electing the first female president, particularly a woman of color, requires diverse journalists for coverage.

Although Margaret Brennan will be contributing from CBS’s Washington bureau, Couric pointed out that “the two individuals who will be front and center for viewers of the CBS evening newscast will be men.”

Having previously served as the lead and solo anchor for “CBS Evening News” between 2006 and 2011, Couric shared her desire to be a role model for young viewers who tuned in during dinner time.

“Diversity in leadership across various fields, including politics and sports, broadens our perspectives on who can or should occupy those roles,” Couric stated.

While Couric enjoyed collaborating with notable male colleagues during her time at CBS, she recognized that male perspectives can sometimes be limited. She recalled an instance where an article written by a male colleague about Hillary Clinton contained subtle sexism.

Couric noted that appointing Mr. Dickerson and Mr. DuBois as new anchors was likely a straightforward choice since they were already part of the team, especially amid dwindling TV ratings and budget constraints leading to cuts and layoffs.

“Even in an industry that may be perceived as outdated, it’s vital to acknowledge the societal changes unfolding in our country,” Couric emphasized.