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The News Sorority: Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Christiane Amanpour, and the (Ongoing, Imperfect, Complicated) Triumph of Women in TV News
A provocative look at the three remarkable women who revolutionized television broadcast news
For decades, women battered the walls of the male fortress of television journalism, until finally three—Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, and Christiane Amanpour—broke through, definitively remaking America’s nightly news. Drawing on exclusive interviews with their colleagues and intimates from childhood on, bestselling author Sheila Weller crafts a lively and eye-opening narrative, revealing the combination of ambition, skill, and character that enabled these three singular women to infiltrate the once impenetrable “boys club” and become cultural icons.
Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Diane Sawyer was a driven, elegant young woman in a time of societal upheaval. Her fierce intellect, almost insuperable work ethic, and mysterious emotional intelligence would catapult Sawyer from being the first female on-air correspondent for 60 Minutes to presenting heartbreaking specials on child poverty in America while anchoring the network flagship, ABC World News Tonight.
Katie Couric, always convenient l y underestimated because of her girl-next-door demeanor, brazened her way through a succession of regional TV news jobs until she finally hit it big in New York. In 1991, Couric became the Today show cohost, where over the next fifteen years she transformed the “female” slot from secondary to preeminent. Couric’s greatest triumph—and most bedeviling challenge—was inheriting the mantle of Walter Cronkite at CBS Evening News, as the first woman ever to anchor a prestigious nighttime network news program.
A glamorous but unorthodox cosmopolite— the daughter of a British Catholic mother and Iranian Muslim father—Christiane Amanpour made a virtue of her outsider status. She joined the fledgling CNN on the bottom rung and then became its “face,” catalyzing its rise to global prominence. Her fearlessness in war zones and before presidents and despots would make her the world’s witness to some of its most acute crises and television’s chief advocate for international justice.
The News Sorority takes us behind the scenes as never before to track Sawyer’s, Couric’s, and Amanpour’s ascendance to the highest ranks of the media elite, showing that the compelling desire to report the news—a drive born of curiosity, empathy, and humanity—must be matched by guts, awesome competitive fervor, and rare strategic savvy.
For decades, women battered the walls of the male fortress of television journalism, until finally three—Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, and Christiane Amanpour—broke through, definitively remaking America’s nightly news. Drawing on exclusive interviews with their colleagues and intimates from childhood on, bestselling author Sheila Weller crafts a lively and eye-opening narrative, revealing the combination of ambition, skill, and character that enabled these three singular women to infiltrate the once impenetrable “boys club” and become cultural icons.
Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Diane Sawyer was a driven, elegant young woman in a time of societal upheaval. Her fierce intellect, almost insuperable work ethic, and mysterious emotional intelligence would catapult Sawyer from being the first female on-air correspondent for 60 Minutes to presenting heartbreaking specials on child poverty in America while anchoring the network flagship, ABC World News Tonight.
Katie Couric, always convenient l y underestimated because of her girl-next-door demeanor, brazened her way through a succession of regional TV news jobs until she finally hit it big in New York. In 1991, Couric became the Today show cohost, where over the next fifteen years she transformed the “female” slot from secondary to preeminent. Couric’s greatest triumph—and most bedeviling challenge—was inheriting the mantle of Walter Cronkite at CBS Evening News, as the first woman ever to anchor a prestigious nighttime network news program.
A glamorous but unorthodox cosmopolite— the daughter of a British Catholic mother and Iranian Muslim father—Christiane Amanpour made a virtue of her outsider status. She joined the fledgling CNN on the bottom rung and then became its “face,” catalyzing its rise to global prominence. Her fearlessness in war zones and before presidents and despots would make her the world’s witness to some of its most acute crises and television’s chief advocate for international justice.
The News Sorority takes us behind the scenes as never before to track Sawyer’s, Couric’s, and Amanpour’s ascendance to the highest ranks of the media elite, showing that the compelling desire to report the news—a drive born of curiosity, empathy, and humanity—must be matched by guts, awesome competitive fervor, and rare strategic savvy.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2014
About the author
Sheila Weller
15 books105 followersSheila Weller is a bestselling author and award-winning magazine journalist specializing in women’s lives, social issues, cultural history, and feminist investigative.
Her seventh book, The News Sorority: Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Christiane Amanpour – and the Triumph of Women in TV News, will be a major release from Penguin-Random House on September 30, 2014.
Her sixth book was the critically acclaimed Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon -- And The Journey of a Generation (2008). A New York Times Bestseller for 8 weeks, it is featured in numerous Women’s Studies programs at major universities, was chosen as one of the Best Books of 2008 by Library Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, Amazon.com, and Tina Brown’s DailyBeast. Girls Like Us is in active development as a motion picture with Sony.
Her 2003 family memoir Dancing At Ciro’s “makes a substantial contribution to American social history,” said The Washington Post.
Her four previous books (including the #2 New York Times bestseller Raging Heart) were well-regarded, news-breaking nonfiction accounts of high profile crimes against women and their social and legal implications.
She is a writer for Vanity Fair, has been Senior Contributing Editor of Glamour since 2002, is a former Contributing Editor to New York, a reviewer for The New York Times Book Review, and has written and writes for numerous other magazines for many years.
She has won nine major magazine awards between 1994 and 2012:
She won a record six Newswomen’s Club of New York Front Page Awards.
She won two Exceptional Merit in Media Awards from The National Women’s Political Caucus.
She was one of three winners, for her body of work, for Magazine Feature Writing on a Variety of Subjects in the 2005 National Headliners Award.
She is married to esteemed history writer John Kelly (The Graves Are Walking, about the Irish Famine, and The Great Mortality, about the Black Death).
She lives in New York City and in Berkshire County, Massachusetts.
Her seventh book, The News Sorority: Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Christiane Amanpour – and the Triumph of Women in TV News, will be a major release from Penguin-Random House on September 30, 2014.
Her sixth book was the critically acclaimed Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon -- And The Journey of a Generation (2008). A New York Times Bestseller for 8 weeks, it is featured in numerous Women’s Studies programs at major universities, was chosen as one of the Best Books of 2008 by Library Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, Amazon.com, and Tina Brown’s DailyBeast. Girls Like Us is in active development as a motion picture with Sony.
Her 2003 family memoir Dancing At Ciro’s “makes a substantial contribution to American social history,” said The Washington Post.
Her four previous books (including the #2 New York Times bestseller Raging Heart) were well-regarded, news-breaking nonfiction accounts of high profile crimes against women and their social and legal implications.
She is a writer for Vanity Fair, has been Senior Contributing Editor of Glamour since 2002, is a former Contributing Editor to New York, a reviewer for The New York Times Book Review, and has written and writes for numerous other magazines for many years.
She has won nine major magazine awards between 1994 and 2012:
She won a record six Newswomen’s Club of New York Front Page Awards.
She won two Exceptional Merit in Media Awards from The National Women’s Political Caucus.
She was one of three winners, for her body of work, for Magazine Feature Writing on a Variety of Subjects in the 2005 National Headliners Award.
She is married to esteemed history writer John Kelly (The Graves Are Walking, about the Irish Famine, and The Great Mortality, about the Black Death).
She lives in New York City and in Berkshire County, Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
March 14, 2015
Disclaimer: I won an ARC (uncorrected proof) via a Giveaway on Goodreads. My news program of choice is Newshour on PBS. I watched World News Tonight with Charlie Gibson, and my reason for the change, in part, is below. I should also note that Katie Couric makes me feel like someone put their nails down the blackboard. I really don’t like her online delivery.
If you can remember a few years back, back when Egypt had first erupted into massive protests, a reporter Lara Logan, was sexually assaulted while reporting from Tahir Square. Around the same time, Anderson Cooper reported that he was punched by a member of crowd. The discussion in the media of the two events was different, and not because of the different in the crime. Logan was subjected to a level of, if not necessary criticism, description that Cooper wasn’t. Most pictures of Logan used when the media reported about the assault were of Logan, a very beautiful woman, dressed in a revealing dress for an awards ceremony. The implication, intended or not and even voiced by some of the radio hosts and online pundits, was that Logan was dressed revealing while reporting from a largely conservative and honor bound society, in essence that she was asking for what, and if she wasn’t, then what was a mother doing in a such a place to begin with. Strange considering, she was dressed conservatively and wore little make up during her reports from the square. Strange too, that the subject of sexual assaults in the Square died in the US media for the most part with the return of Logan.
Everyone just made fun of Cooper. But when a male reporter is injured or killed the pictures used are always of said reporter in action, during his job, not the glamour shot that was used for Logan (in fairness, with Marie Colvin’s death, I didn’t see one glamour shot). When Bob Woodruff was injured reporting, no one questioned whether it was responsible for a husband and father to report from a dangerous war zone.
It is unfair no doubt to Logan that she will be remembered, even in this review, for becoming the story as opposed to reporting the story, but what the reaction to her story illustrates is vitally important – the double standard in regards to news reporters – a central theme of Shelia Weller’s The News Sorority, strange though that Logan’s story while included is brief and isn’t quite used fully.
Not totally surprising because the main focus of the book is the rise and in some cases, fall of three of the most well known female newscasters in media history. Tracing the careers of Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, and Christiane Amanpour, Weller looks at the not so changing face of the news while examining the reaction to female newscasters and reporters.
In some ways, this dual purpose part mini-biography, part media criticism doesn’t quite work. Why, for instance, is a story about a martial spat involving a cereal bowl included? It’s funny, sure, but who cares? It’s great that Sawyer likes D.H. Lawrence and e.e. cummings, but who cares? So Amanpour implied her background was different than what it was when she went to school, who doesn’t? Did that transfer to her reporting (apparently not)? And incidentally, would we care if it was Dan Sawyer, Chuck Amanpour, and Ken Couric?
The book is on surer and far more interesting ground when dealing with the impact the women had on various issues and workplaces as well as the ramifications and battles that occurred in the various newsrooms. In fact, the most interesting off topic tidbits occur during the time of CNN’s start up – the first building had no restrooms. The most compelling and interesting sections deal with the issues of gender in the newsroom. Couric might have been the first full time solo female news anchor at 6.30, but at the same time many female news producers on the same network lost their jobs. Weller is at her best when she is either analyzing the performance of the newscasters (her discussion of Couric’s interview with Palin is apt) or the conflicts in the work place.
This is largely because Weller does not turn her three leads into victims. While all three women did work in sexist workplaces to some extent or another, Wheeler presents those flaws and all. In other words, Wheeler does good reporting, presently both flattering and unflattering views of the women while also debating whether some of the negative views are the result of gender not behavior. (Peter Jennings does not come off looking good and neither does Dan Rather). Her narrative and descriptions are so good that even if the reader doesn’t like the woman being focused on, the reader can at least understand and emphasize with them. She also clearly shows the subtle but importance difference between Couric and the other two women, while still showcasing Couric’s skill. This is done by tracing the career path of each woman and how each chose to respond to different challenges. In many ways, Sawyer and Amanpour come off as the more interesting because of their backgrounds, but all three women come off as hard workers. The sexist and workplace section are also more than impact on marriage and family – though it is interesting that both Couric’s and Amanpour’s section deal with the idea of househusband, having more to do with how society sees the husband of a successful woman more than anything else.
But in some parts the book doesn’t quite go as in depth as it should. For instance, when writing about Sawyer’s work on the 6.30 network news, there is a lack of talk of change. While Weller does mention Sawyer’s more emotional approach, she doesn’t address all the changes, including changes that led to me not watching the newscast anymore. For instance, was the change of Person of the Week from a person who was not famous but who truly did something (under Charlie Gibson), to a famous person who has a movie or book coming out – was it Sawyer’s or someone else’s? How about the over the top Royal coverage? Honestly, who cares who has to courtesy first? Furthermore, while discussing the failure of Amanpour and Couric to carry shows as anchor, she does not mention the female team of Gwen and Ifill and Judy Woodruff on PBS’s Newshour. True, not a big three network, but surely worth a nod? How much of Amanpour’s “failure” as an anchor of weekly show also due to the fact that she lacked the glamour/look factor of the other two women? This isn’t to suggest that Amanpour is not a beautiful woman, but she doesn’t do the glam shots that the other women do. And am I the only one who is disturbed by the closeness between reporters and people in positions of power?
In short, the book could have been a bit boarder without losing focus. Still as it is, if you are interested in the news or gender, this is something to read.
Crossposted at Booklikes.
If you can remember a few years back, back when Egypt had first erupted into massive protests, a reporter Lara Logan, was sexually assaulted while reporting from Tahir Square. Around the same time, Anderson Cooper reported that he was punched by a member of crowd. The discussion in the media of the two events was different, and not because of the different in the crime. Logan was subjected to a level of, if not necessary criticism, description that Cooper wasn’t. Most pictures of Logan used when the media reported about the assault were of Logan, a very beautiful woman, dressed in a revealing dress for an awards ceremony. The implication, intended or not and even voiced by some of the radio hosts and online pundits, was that Logan was dressed revealing while reporting from a largely conservative and honor bound society, in essence that she was asking for what, and if she wasn’t, then what was a mother doing in a such a place to begin with. Strange considering, she was dressed conservatively and wore little make up during her reports from the square. Strange too, that the subject of sexual assaults in the Square died in the US media for the most part with the return of Logan.
Everyone just made fun of Cooper. But when a male reporter is injured or killed the pictures used are always of said reporter in action, during his job, not the glamour shot that was used for Logan (in fairness, with Marie Colvin’s death, I didn’t see one glamour shot). When Bob Woodruff was injured reporting, no one questioned whether it was responsible for a husband and father to report from a dangerous war zone.
It is unfair no doubt to Logan that she will be remembered, even in this review, for becoming the story as opposed to reporting the story, but what the reaction to her story illustrates is vitally important – the double standard in regards to news reporters – a central theme of Shelia Weller’s The News Sorority, strange though that Logan’s story while included is brief and isn’t quite used fully.
Not totally surprising because the main focus of the book is the rise and in some cases, fall of three of the most well known female newscasters in media history. Tracing the careers of Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, and Christiane Amanpour, Weller looks at the not so changing face of the news while examining the reaction to female newscasters and reporters.
In some ways, this dual purpose part mini-biography, part media criticism doesn’t quite work. Why, for instance, is a story about a martial spat involving a cereal bowl included? It’s funny, sure, but who cares? It’s great that Sawyer likes D.H. Lawrence and e.e. cummings, but who cares? So Amanpour implied her background was different than what it was when she went to school, who doesn’t? Did that transfer to her reporting (apparently not)? And incidentally, would we care if it was Dan Sawyer, Chuck Amanpour, and Ken Couric?
The book is on surer and far more interesting ground when dealing with the impact the women had on various issues and workplaces as well as the ramifications and battles that occurred in the various newsrooms. In fact, the most interesting off topic tidbits occur during the time of CNN’s start up – the first building had no restrooms. The most compelling and interesting sections deal with the issues of gender in the newsroom. Couric might have been the first full time solo female news anchor at 6.30, but at the same time many female news producers on the same network lost their jobs. Weller is at her best when she is either analyzing the performance of the newscasters (her discussion of Couric’s interview with Palin is apt) or the conflicts in the work place.
This is largely because Weller does not turn her three leads into victims. While all three women did work in sexist workplaces to some extent or another, Wheeler presents those flaws and all. In other words, Wheeler does good reporting, presently both flattering and unflattering views of the women while also debating whether some of the negative views are the result of gender not behavior. (Peter Jennings does not come off looking good and neither does Dan Rather). Her narrative and descriptions are so good that even if the reader doesn’t like the woman being focused on, the reader can at least understand and emphasize with them. She also clearly shows the subtle but importance difference between Couric and the other two women, while still showcasing Couric’s skill. This is done by tracing the career path of each woman and how each chose to respond to different challenges. In many ways, Sawyer and Amanpour come off as the more interesting because of their backgrounds, but all three women come off as hard workers. The sexist and workplace section are also more than impact on marriage and family – though it is interesting that both Couric’s and Amanpour’s section deal with the idea of househusband, having more to do with how society sees the husband of a successful woman more than anything else.
But in some parts the book doesn’t quite go as in depth as it should. For instance, when writing about Sawyer’s work on the 6.30 network news, there is a lack of talk of change. While Weller does mention Sawyer’s more emotional approach, she doesn’t address all the changes, including changes that led to me not watching the newscast anymore. For instance, was the change of Person of the Week from a person who was not famous but who truly did something (under Charlie Gibson), to a famous person who has a movie or book coming out – was it Sawyer’s or someone else’s? How about the over the top Royal coverage? Honestly, who cares who has to courtesy first? Furthermore, while discussing the failure of Amanpour and Couric to carry shows as anchor, she does not mention the female team of Gwen and Ifill and Judy Woodruff on PBS’s Newshour. True, not a big three network, but surely worth a nod? How much of Amanpour’s “failure” as an anchor of weekly show also due to the fact that she lacked the glamour/look factor of the other two women? This isn’t to suggest that Amanpour is not a beautiful woman, but she doesn’t do the glam shots that the other women do. And am I the only one who is disturbed by the closeness between reporters and people in positions of power?
In short, the book could have been a bit boarder without losing focus. Still as it is, if you are interested in the news or gender, this is something to read.
Crossposted at Booklikes.
May 19, 2015
In 1971 CBS hired a few women in the newsroom among them were Connie Chung and Lesley Stahl. In 1976 Barbara Walters became the first female anchorwomen. Now there are lots of women news anchors on local T.V. stations and PBS News Hour host the only all women anchor team with Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff.
The author primarily covers Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric and Christiane Amanpour. The author did not have direct access to these news anchors for information. Weller does quote various people from whom she has obtained information but she also has a number of unnamed sources that she quotes.
The author points out the continuing battle women have in the upper echelons of news industry as when Diane Sawyer stepped down as anchor on “ABC World News Tonight she was replaced by a male David Muir. I noted that Sawyer’s husband died shortly after she stepped down. Amanpour lost the anchor on ABC’s This Week in Review and was replaced by a male anchor; they also lost me as a viewer as it was Amanpour that attracted me to the show. Katie Couric was also replaced by a male anchor on CBS.
I must say that I was most impressed with Weller report about Amanpour; I thought she was the most outstanding of the three listed. I have to admire Amanpour’s courage and skill as a war correspondent. After reading about these women and the T.V. news industry one has to admire these women who battled with ratings, network politics, and without a doubt sexist executives, and a chauvinistic industry. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fairly long at 17 hours. Morgan Hallett narrated the book.
The author primarily covers Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric and Christiane Amanpour. The author did not have direct access to these news anchors for information. Weller does quote various people from whom she has obtained information but she also has a number of unnamed sources that she quotes.
The author points out the continuing battle women have in the upper echelons of news industry as when Diane Sawyer stepped down as anchor on “ABC World News Tonight she was replaced by a male David Muir. I noted that Sawyer’s husband died shortly after she stepped down. Amanpour lost the anchor on ABC’s This Week in Review and was replaced by a male anchor; they also lost me as a viewer as it was Amanpour that attracted me to the show. Katie Couric was also replaced by a male anchor on CBS.
I must say that I was most impressed with Weller report about Amanpour; I thought she was the most outstanding of the three listed. I have to admire Amanpour’s courage and skill as a war correspondent. After reading about these women and the T.V. news industry one has to admire these women who battled with ratings, network politics, and without a doubt sexist executives, and a chauvinistic industry. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fairly long at 17 hours. Morgan Hallett narrated the book.
November 18, 2014
Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric and Christiane Amanpour, three women climbing and conquering in the male dominated field of news anchoring are featured in their personal and professional lives. Their lives differ greatly, each approached their careers differently, however, all three equally driven.
Personal sacrifices, issues to deal with are presented and explored. Their choices suffering criticism, unlike their male counterparts. Women almost always face the dilemma of career vs family, men rarely deal with this predicament suffering zero criticism and backlash. The information Weller provides stems from interviews with friends, coworkers, adversaries, acquaintances in a rather detailed manner, at times clashing with previously known information/stories which Weller kindly addresses.
A little too ‘dishy’ for my tastes, however it was interesting to read of females scratching and clawing, along with career struggles in a male dominated field, also educational regarding the news market in total.
A story of three very driven women, three women conquering with their share of personal costs. Challenges, victories, loss and sacrifices all offered to the reader.
Personal sacrifices, issues to deal with are presented and explored. Their choices suffering criticism, unlike their male counterparts. Women almost always face the dilemma of career vs family, men rarely deal with this predicament suffering zero criticism and backlash. The information Weller provides stems from interviews with friends, coworkers, adversaries, acquaintances in a rather detailed manner, at times clashing with previously known information/stories which Weller kindly addresses.
A little too ‘dishy’ for my tastes, however it was interesting to read of females scratching and clawing, along with career struggles in a male dominated field, also educational regarding the news market in total.
A story of three very driven women, three women conquering with their share of personal costs. Challenges, victories, loss and sacrifices all offered to the reader.
February 2, 2015
While I loved that Weller classified Howard Stern as "cheesy," I was sad that so much of this book focused on physical appearance, outfits and frivolity; I felt that detracted from the justifiable point that women newsmakers are unfairly judged for their physical appearance. I found this book interesting, but wouldn't choose to read more of this author's writing (having had a low-level career in TV news I recognized a lot of the people and departments and could remember major events).
January 30, 2016
Sheila Weller, the courageous and brilliant journalist-biographer, author of Girls Like Us, delivers another masterpiece! The News Sorority is an engrossing giant of a read; thorough, intimate, unabashed and revealing.
We’ve all spent time with these women, Sawyer, Couric, Amanpour, they’ve been in our living rooms for years. We know their voices, their inflections, their candor and their charms; we have come to trust their honesty and authenticity. They’ve delivered fact, explained away fiction, and informed us of the events which enveloped the world each day.
We’ve read the headlines, too. Somehow, it seemed enough that Diane Sawyer had worked closely for Nixon, that Christiane Amanpour always sounded fiercely well informed, that Katie Couric had lost her husband early on and had the tenacity to overcome her pain, but Sheila Weller has reminded us that that is simply not enough, and it isn’t. These are the women who kicked down the door and nearly blew the house down; these are the femme fatales of broadcast news, of an impacted visage of male domination, misogyny and arrogance; these are the gorgeous monsters who lurked outside the men’s rooms waiting to mop the floor, and through grit and determination, brilliance and perseverance, through their combined efforts and dogmatic drive, prevailed, and in doing so, redefined and recreated an industry.
There is something I love about an underdog, and call me sexist, but when women like these three can move the phallic mountain, there’s an American celebration to be had.
The magnificent Sheila Weller sees and hears what the rest of us do, but knows there’s a story to tell, a deeper, often darker undercurrent to expose, and expose it, she does.
This is no breezy read, nothing to pick up on a Friday night and finish by lights out Sunday. Nothing this important and revealing can be written in a day and consumed in hours. This is an exploration into three thunderous lives. Grab your reading glasses, get cozy and climb right in, The News Sorority is one hell of a journey.
We’ve all spent time with these women, Sawyer, Couric, Amanpour, they’ve been in our living rooms for years. We know their voices, their inflections, their candor and their charms; we have come to trust their honesty and authenticity. They’ve delivered fact, explained away fiction, and informed us of the events which enveloped the world each day.
We’ve read the headlines, too. Somehow, it seemed enough that Diane Sawyer had worked closely for Nixon, that Christiane Amanpour always sounded fiercely well informed, that Katie Couric had lost her husband early on and had the tenacity to overcome her pain, but Sheila Weller has reminded us that that is simply not enough, and it isn’t. These are the women who kicked down the door and nearly blew the house down; these are the femme fatales of broadcast news, of an impacted visage of male domination, misogyny and arrogance; these are the gorgeous monsters who lurked outside the men’s rooms waiting to mop the floor, and through grit and determination, brilliance and perseverance, through their combined efforts and dogmatic drive, prevailed, and in doing so, redefined and recreated an industry.
There is something I love about an underdog, and call me sexist, but when women like these three can move the phallic mountain, there’s an American celebration to be had.
The magnificent Sheila Weller sees and hears what the rest of us do, but knows there’s a story to tell, a deeper, often darker undercurrent to expose, and expose it, she does.
This is no breezy read, nothing to pick up on a Friday night and finish by lights out Sunday. Nothing this important and revealing can be written in a day and consumed in hours. This is an exploration into three thunderous lives. Grab your reading glasses, get cozy and climb right in, The News Sorority is one hell of a journey.
November 8, 2014
I read this book as a part of the First To Read Program. I was really looking forward to it but struggled to finish it. I didn't like the liberal use of quotes from unnamed sources. At times the focus seemed more like a gossip column than a serious book about these women and their careers. Also -too long.
May 23, 2020
I think Christine below (Goodreads.com) pretty much sums up my review but I will add these three comments:
First, surprisingly, there were some actual page turner moments in Amanpour's stories because of what she was covering especially during the war in Serbia. I lived through those times but because I was a working mom with a baby and new business, I wasn't paying attention (as most Americans were not) to the war in Serbia and so I was fascinated by this recitation of what Amanpour was covering and how she did it.
Second, I assume that because the author was unable to interview her subjects personally, what I found missing was how the stories that these women reported affected them personally. There is, of course, some discussion of that but if I had dinner with any or all of them, that is what I want to know. The long term affects on them. How do you live your life after witnessing war? After seeing the effects of the Oklahoma bombing? After literally living through 911 down the street?
Last, as a former Communications Major and news geek, who also is a reality TV show fan, I can't get enough of this stuff. I enjoyed it and applaud these women for the ground they laid for the current and future women in the industry. I include the author in my admiration.
First, surprisingly, there were some actual page turner moments in Amanpour's stories because of what she was covering especially during the war in Serbia. I lived through those times but because I was a working mom with a baby and new business, I wasn't paying attention (as most Americans were not) to the war in Serbia and so I was fascinated by this recitation of what Amanpour was covering and how she did it.
Second, I assume that because the author was unable to interview her subjects personally, what I found missing was how the stories that these women reported affected them personally. There is, of course, some discussion of that but if I had dinner with any or all of them, that is what I want to know. The long term affects on them. How do you live your life after witnessing war? After seeing the effects of the Oklahoma bombing? After literally living through 911 down the street?
Last, as a former Communications Major and news geek, who also is a reality TV show fan, I can't get enough of this stuff. I enjoyed it and applaud these women for the ground they laid for the current and future women in the industry. I include the author in my admiration.
July 18, 2019
I really enjoyed this book about these 3 talented, powerhouses! The setup of this book is great, telling the stories of these women by a grouping of years, telling how these women's stories overlap, comparing and contrasting their reporting styles. I liked how they described these women's strengths and weaknesses, not trying to make them seem perfect to prove that women should be in powerful positions. When they told of their weaknesses, they compare their weaknesses to men in similar positions. It really showed that women in power are no different than men, and that people should be giving women more of a chance to show their awesome talents. This really is a great book!
November 26, 2017
Another random find that I quite enjoyed. It was fun to learn the history of Katie and Diane especially since I used to watch them. And I appreciated the author's feminist viewpoint of their struggles. I didn't ever think it was boring. Unlike my latest reviews. :)
May 28, 2015
The point of the book, title notwithstanding, is that these women ultimately failed to achieve their goal of being successful anchors of network news programs because America prefers its news from heterosexual white men of a certain age. Diane and Katie were "fired" and Christiane was denied the opportunity that she earned. Katie and Diane made fortunes, but did not make lasting structural changes for the better. Rather disappointed that there was not a single mention of Amy Goodman--is she not a member of the news sorority? Didn't she "pay her dues" too? What about Judy Woodruff or Gwen Ifil? While Amy, Judy, and Gwen were not the subject of her book--some comparison would provide needed context. Finally, the author did not interview the subjects of her book. She said Diane and Katie declined, and she did not interview Christiane because she did not interview the other two--not a compelling reason to omit an interview with her.
More tabloid than expose. Although, it was interesting to be reminded of the stories from the past two decades and how they were packaged for public consumption.
More tabloid than expose. Although, it was interesting to be reminded of the stories from the past two decades and how they were packaged for public consumption.
August 18, 2014
One of the best books I've read in ages, I literally couldn't put it down; it's not only a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the kind of grit it takes to make it in prime time news and a great look at three fascinating and admirable women, but also a terrific review of some of the most important news stories of the past five decades.
Eminently readable, written in a style that's both comfortable and elegant, it creates a very balanced history of the challenges, the requirements, and the often irregular paths these women faced and overcame, while being held to very different standards than their male colleagues (spoiler alert: I was shocked by what I learned about several iconic male news anchors)
This is a strictly reportorial exercise - Weller did not work with her three subjects in writing this book - so the multiple points of view expressed by the literally hundreds of people Weller did interview create a rich, 3-dimensional look that is not always flattering, but always respectful of the incredible accomplishments of these three very different, but very committed women.
Eminently readable, written in a style that's both comfortable and elegant, it creates a very balanced history of the challenges, the requirements, and the often irregular paths these women faced and overcame, while being held to very different standards than their male colleagues (spoiler alert: I was shocked by what I learned about several iconic male news anchors)
This is a strictly reportorial exercise - Weller did not work with her three subjects in writing this book - so the multiple points of view expressed by the literally hundreds of people Weller did interview create a rich, 3-dimensional look that is not always flattering, but always respectful of the incredible accomplishments of these three very different, but very committed women.
November 1, 2014
A hefty journalistic volume recounting the paths of three preeminent female newscasters. Two of the three are younger than I, but I recall hearing supposedly wise people surmising why there would never be females in the news business. (One of the reasons was that their voices were too shrill.) These three cajoled, manipulated and worked their ways to the top of their profession only to seemingly reach that Peter Principled level of incompetence. (Was it really incompetence or unrealistic expectations by management.)
All three women are portrayed with strengths and weaknesses. Each had a unique background as well as road to travel to the top of the news mountain.
I completely wallowed in this book but am dismayed that even in these "enlightened" times a woman can't seem to hold on to a prestigious anchor chair longer than five years. Whose problem is that?
All three women are portrayed with strengths and weaknesses. Each had a unique background as well as road to travel to the top of the news mountain.
I completely wallowed in this book but am dismayed that even in these "enlightened" times a woman can't seem to hold on to a prestigious anchor chair longer than five years. Whose problem is that?
October 15, 2014
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It is pretty long, but so interesting.
As another reviewer noted, Christiane Amanpour really brings the book from a 3.5 star rating up to a full 5 stars. Her career trajectory really stood in juxtaposition to the other two women, reporting from safe studios in New York City. The book itself also revealed the many ways that TV news works against women, and how often women are punished just for being women (for example, Diane's struggles in being "warm" enough and Christiane's inability to get a 1pm Sunday show, despite years of experience- it was given to Fareed Zakaria instead).
My only "beef" is the title. I hardly think the three women could be considered a "sorority", which implies sisterhood and warm, fuzzy, girly feelings.
As another reviewer noted, Christiane Amanpour really brings the book from a 3.5 star rating up to a full 5 stars. Her career trajectory really stood in juxtaposition to the other two women, reporting from safe studios in New York City. The book itself also revealed the many ways that TV news works against women, and how often women are punished just for being women (for example, Diane's struggles in being "warm" enough and Christiane's inability to get a 1pm Sunday show, despite years of experience- it was given to Fareed Zakaria instead).
My only "beef" is the title. I hardly think the three women could be considered a "sorority", which implies sisterhood and warm, fuzzy, girly feelings.
March 26, 2015
I felt the portion of the book devoted to Christiane Amanpour was worthwhile, but most of the rest of it read like a gossip column about people who were preoccupied with money and their own egos. For me that got old fast. This experience underlines the importance of a book-club selecting only books that at least one member has actually read and can vouch for.
January 23, 2015
Tons of interesting information (and dirt!) about 3 of the most famous women in the business.
February 19, 2023
Though this book details the backgrounds of three very different female newscasters, Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer & Christiane Amanpour. I couldn’t help but appreciate two of the three more so based on what I saw as an
uncanny & strong work ethic. We all have men & women we work with whom have strong work ethics, but knowing the hurdles these women had to overcome & seeing how they fought for every millimeter to be recognized as equals if not better astounded me.
Christiane brought new meaning to war correspondent/ journalist/anchor. Often under estimated- yet time & again she would ensure the world heard her report & speak for those who couldn’t.
Diane the reporter/ anchor whom knew how to affect change in her pieces by touching on the youth,hunger & homelessness & poverty in a country as rich as America
highlighted how we all tend to put blinders on rather than admit the fragility of our society.
Katie a person whom decided she wanted it all at a young age, (I want to be a reporter on tv) but allowed for her celebrity to be a talent more than those childhood ambitions.
Christiane & Diane spoke to our hearts & opened our eyes.Sometimes gently leading us at other times prodding us to use our common sense - our compassion our humanity. Reminding us to do something as opposed to nothing.
Katie recognizing that as a young widow, seeing many people she loved being diagnosed with cancer. The emotional support provided still was not enough. So she created a SU2C foundation. Education & research along with early diagnosis.
Without a doubt all remarkable women who took a road less travelled & found a way to relish each & every step.
uncanny & strong work ethic. We all have men & women we work with whom have strong work ethics, but knowing the hurdles these women had to overcome & seeing how they fought for every millimeter to be recognized as equals if not better astounded me.
Christiane brought new meaning to war correspondent/ journalist/anchor. Often under estimated- yet time & again she would ensure the world heard her report & speak for those who couldn’t.
Diane the reporter/ anchor whom knew how to affect change in her pieces by touching on the youth,hunger & homelessness & poverty in a country as rich as America
highlighted how we all tend to put blinders on rather than admit the fragility of our society.
Katie a person whom decided she wanted it all at a young age, (I want to be a reporter on tv) but allowed for her celebrity to be a talent more than those childhood ambitions.
Christiane & Diane spoke to our hearts & opened our eyes.Sometimes gently leading us at other times prodding us to use our common sense - our compassion our humanity. Reminding us to do something as opposed to nothing.
Katie recognizing that as a young widow, seeing many people she loved being diagnosed with cancer. The emotional support provided still was not enough. So she created a SU2C foundation. Education & research along with early diagnosis.
Without a doubt all remarkable women who took a road less travelled & found a way to relish each & every step.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2023
I was so looking forward to reading this, as I've always admired these three women, especially Christiane Amanpour. While I learned a LOT about their formative years and the sexism they faced in becoming successful journalists and anchors, there was so much emphasis on physical appearances that felt overused each chapter. There was a lot of mixed messaging; women in communication/journalism must wear so many hats and be cognizant of not being too far in one direction or the other (Christiane's "foreign" accent, Katie's peppiness, etc), making it nearly impossible to succeed. The women were not always shown in the most positive light. I wish that there had been direct quotes or interviews from "The Sorority" because so many quotes were from executive producers here and there, former co-workers, and friends. The author, who is a solid writer, did, in my opinion, use too many superfluous words. I found myself having to look up so many adjectives that I'd never heard of before. I wish more emphasis had been placed on the kinds of news these women specialized in. I LOVED reading about Amanpour's time in war zones like Darfur and Bosnia, Sawyer's work with women and children, and Couric's emphasis on cancer prevention. Overall, an interesting read but a bit of a slog to get through at times.
July 28, 2018
I like to read about strong, determined women and this book meets that description. It's also interesting for recent history ( recent for me anyway! ) They have all traveled different paths to reach their goals, but their goal is the same. Although the author is a woman she depicts the female newscasters as typical "scratch your eyes out, pull your hair" fashion. While she refers to male peers as doing what they are paid to do. That is strictly my opinion though.Diane was always an enigma to me and I feel like I understand her better since reading News Sorority
I would recommend this book to anyone who admires Christiane, Katie and Diane.
I would recommend this book to anyone who admires Christiane, Katie and Diane.
January 9, 2021
Where can I begin about the dreary awfulness of this book? When I read a biography, I want the facts, not glossy magazine language. Sheila Weller uses too many adjectives, needs an editor to curb her excessive paragraphs, and uses such embarrassingly antediluvian words as "pluck" to describe these journalists. I concur that these three subjects are highly-accomplished professionals, but Weller describes them in such a fashion that they do not seem quite human. No human being is that perfect. Weller would be better suited to writing advertising copy than tackling biography. And I certainly will not read Weller's memoir.
November 22, 2019
Roller coaster book detailing the lives and careers of Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, and Christiane Amanpour. Of the three, more impressed with Amanpour. Sawyer and Couric's careers have been played out in media many times. At times, the competition between Sawyer and Couric seemed like a high school rivalry. You can rightly applaud their firsts, but of women, there were many there before them who weren't given their due.
January 2, 2020
I picked this book up at the dollar store- I definitely got my $1 in information and entertainment out of it! A very well written parallel biography of three incredible women journalists. Slightly outdated now as it was published in 2014 so it does not cover the most recent parts of their lives but learning about their upbringing, career path, and challenges they faced in that path was both fascinating and inspirational.
July 17, 2020
Oft catty and chock-full of unnamed sources, Weller makes the pretense of sympathizing with three competitive women wading in a greedy, chauvinistic field all the while taking personal jabs.
While the battles between Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric were tedious, I found the Christiane Amanpour chapters to be fascinating. She seemed like a strange third party to this tabloid telling.
The power of these women was not only their centrality in reporting the top news of their time, but of creating history.
While the battles between Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric were tedious, I found the Christiane Amanpour chapters to be fascinating. She seemed like a strange third party to this tabloid telling.
The power of these women was not only their centrality in reporting the top news of their time, but of creating history.
July 15, 2020
This is the sort of book that should be read the year it’s released. Almost a decade later, it has little relevance, as each one of the three subjects is far removed, both personally and professionally, from where they were when this book was written. Pop history is like that. Will anyone be reading any of the infinite books written about Donald Trump 10 years from now? Nah......
February 9, 2017
Story about three interesting women in what I consider a very interesting profession. It is written in a gossipy style and does not have the benefit of the subjects' input, however. It really demonstrated how much sexism dominated the TV news profession and probably still does.
August 21, 2018
I loved this, and as this one was on Audible, I spent time in parking spaces and driveways waiting until I got to a point I could take a break. These are 3 very fascinating women and how their careers developed or failed in a very “man oriented” profession.
August 26, 2018
I feel like this book would have been more successful had it focused on Diana Sawyer and Katie Couric and maybe one other journalist/newscaster who's a foil to them. The inclusion of Christiane Amanpour whose career has been vastly different from theirs seems like an afterthought.
December 26, 2017
Long and meh.
July 16, 2019
Being a journalist, I found this book very interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed the chapters on Christiane Amanpour -- the best international news reporter extant.
December 10, 2019
It was just OK. I starting skimming through swaths of it. It just went on so long I didn't care about any of them or their obscene salaries.
April 15, 2022
3.5 stars.
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