Katie Couric rejects 'bothsidesism' in news coverage, says people don't want 'just the facts'
Katie Couric spoke out against "bothsidesism" in news coverage and insisted people don't want "just the facts" in the current media environment.
Appearing on Tuesday's installment of "The Grill Room" podcast, Couric decried the current backlash against the "expert" class, saying she loves talking to people "with a deep well of knowledge" about specific issues.
"So what I try to do and what we try to do is help people stay abreast of everything that's happening, which is increasingly difficult given the velocity of things that are thrown at us primarily by this administration," Couric told host Dylan Byers. "But try to understand and give them some perspective and context and help explain in some cases why people need to be aware and concerned about some of the things that are happening in this country."
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"And I think I feel more comfortable in speaking out about things than I ever would have, obviously, on 'The Today Show.' I think that it was a different time... but I think if I were on 'The Today Show' now, I would feel muzzled, and I think that I would feel frustrated that we couldn't really talk about the stuff that was happening and in a deep way."
The veteran TV host went on to say that she feels "upset" by what's going on in the country, telling Byers her job is to "help people understand why this is not normal."
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"I guess that puts me squarely on one side of the media divide, but I'm ok with that," Couric said. "Cause I want my grandkids to say, 'Yeah, she did that morning show, and she did an evening newscast, but like when the rubber was really hitting the road, she made sure that people understood what that meant and what was going on.
"And I think the era of kind of bothsidesism or just the facts — and by the way, just the facts without context, without examination, I don't think people really want that."
Couric also told Byers that "one of the hardest jobs in journalism" today is interviewing President Donald Trump.
"He's a very, very difficult person to interview because you can spend every question with a fact checking follow up. And it's very difficult to do," Couric said.
When asked whether she would want an Oval Office interview, she replied, "Obviously, if I had the opportunity, I would."
Couric, who launched her own media company in 2017 after her decades-long career in television, has embraced her liberal stance on issues in recent years, acknowledging she's "not for everyone."
"I mean, at some point, I think I believe strongly in reproductive rights. I think they're the foundation of equal rights for women. And I felt an obligation to say that," Couric said in 2023. "Similarly, you know, I feel very strongly about reducing gun violence in this country. I've covered too many school shootings, too many mass shootings. You know, nothing happened after Sandy Hook… And I think, you know, 74% of NRA members want stricter gun laws. And the fact that we can't get it done because we are being held hostage by these extremists."
"It's ridiculous and unacceptable. And I feel like, you know, I've earned the right on some issues that are important to me to speak my mind," Couric added.