Katie Couric Denounces Media's 'Capitulation' to Trump as 'Good Old-Fashioned Shakedown'

The veteran broadcaster and independent media mogul has criticized major networks for prioritizing corporate interests over editorial integrity.

During an interview with Variety marking the 20th anniversary of her CBS Evening News anchor role, Katie Couric — the acclaimed former Today host who now operates her own media venture — addressed the challenges facing broadcast journalism in an increasingly polarized political landscape.

The 'Both Sides' Dilemma

When questioned about the feasibility of producing straightforward news coverage amid deep political divisions, Couric acknowledged the difficulty. "I think it probably would have been easier with a less polarizing president," she stated. "But I think there is a significant segment of the population who believe that the Trump administration poses an existential threat to democracy, and for those people, to have a 'both sides' newscast is a violation for them of journalistic ethics."

She further elaborated on the necessity of context and accuracy in modern reporting: "We have entered a new era of not only facts, but context and perspective and to repeat things that aren't true, hoping this to appear unbiased is not the solution."

Corporate Settlements and Editorial Compromise

Couric delivered sharp criticism toward her former employer CBS and competitor ABC News, citing recent financial settlements as evidence of corporate interference in editorial decisions.

In 2025, Paramount — CBS's parent company — disbursed $16 million to settle a lawsuit with President Donald Trump following a 60 Minutes interview featuring Vice President Kamala Harris. The previous year, ABC News allocated $15 million toward Trump's presidential library to resolve a defamation claim stemming from anchor George Stephanopoulos's statement that the president-elect had been found civilly liable for sexual assault by writer E. Jean Carroll.

"I'd love to separate corporate from media, because I think that's a real problem," Couric remarked. Referencing the CBS settlement specifically, she noted: "That was obviously because they wanted the [Paramount/Skydance] merger to go through, and it was so obvious. That, to me, is a real issue in media today, and I found that really deplorable. That level of capitulation was just incredibly disappointing to me."