Couric and McKinney provide great examples for studying relevance Finally! Katie Couric ended the speculation this morning by announcing she's going to CBS. Thank God. Not that she's going the CBS, but that the news media got a story they could gnaw on for at least the afternoon, temporarily giving them something to discuss besides the Cynthia McKinney story. I don't know which story is more obnoxious.... or, frankly, which will have longer legs. Speculation about Katie has been ongoing for about a year now so the actual announcement was rather anti-climatic. It will certainly be interesting to see how the story plays out once she goes on the air at CBS. Expect ratings to spike, at least temporarily, just because of the sheer number of pundits who will tune in to see if whether she brings the perkiness with her or if CBS tones her down some. If the network's goal is to bring in a younger viewing audience, thereby becoming more relevant to today's most sought-after consumers, she's probably a good choice. Stay tuned. It's too early to predict with any credibility how this strategic move will play out for CBS. One thing is for sure, CBS, nor any other network for that matter, will have to search for ways to fill the evening news. They all seem bound and determined to cover Cynthia McKinney's every asinine statement. Heaven knows, Soledad O'Brien tried to make the story relevant in her interview on CNN this morning, but Ms. McKinney, as usual, outright refused to answer most questions and instead hid behind her lawyer. When I drift off into fantasyland, I dream of reporters who will refuse to cover stories like this by cutting off guests who have no interest in bringing any relevance whatsoever to the story. A part of me feels sorry for the reporters. Many of them are assigned to cover the McKinney story no matter what. And yet another part of me wants take their laptops and microphones away until they promise to use these tools for the greater good, rather than to feed the ego of a self-centered politician. This whole McKinney debacle is starting to make me a bit cranky. This woman would accuse a person of being racist for killing a poisonous black snake chasing after a new-born puppy. It appears that her ego overrides everything else, including integrity and common sense. As long as she gets the news coverage she so desperately seeks, it doesn't much seem to matter whether it's positive, negative or even the least bit relevant. Sadly, her shenanigans are hurting her ability to bring credibility and focus to the very issues she claims to champion. She needs to shut up soon (like, this very moment) before she talks her way right out of any hope of remaining relevant.