Katie Couric (Photo: Kevin Lynch Inc)
Katie Couric has long commanded America’s attention. Her 40 year-career in the public eye includes anchor posts on the “Today” show, CBS’s nightly news program, and Yahoo News, as well as work as a producer, author, documentary film maker, podcast host, and founder of her own media company.
That longevity and visibility—spanning traditional broadcast media and emerging digital platforms—have made Couric one of most influential and recognizable of American journalists.
Couric has leveraged that visibility to bring attention to issues that matter to her, most notably in her advocacy for cancer awareness. This highly personal campaign led her to become one of the founders of Stand Up to Cancer and the National Colorectal Research Alliance.
Projects of Katie Couric Media have explored how our idea of gender has evolved throughout the years; the stories of successful women in a variety of professional fields; and how we approach some of the most divisive subjects and themes present throughout our nation.
For using her voice to begin and amplify important discussions about a spectrum of issues that touch American lives, Katie Couric is the recipient of the John P. McGovern Award presented by Smithsonian Associates.
The award presentation highlights an evening in which Couric, in conversation with April Ryan, White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks and CNN political analyst, discusses topics including her career, her own work and collaborations in new media, and how the issues and causes for which she advocates connect to her role as a journalist.
The award, established by an endowment to the Smithsonian by noted physician, educator, author, and philanthropist John P. McGovern, provides a platform to address issues of national and global importance that bridge the sciences and humanities.
