By Debbie Mitchell
Ann Curry's emotional departure from the Today show last Thursday was a big topic of discussion over the weekend. Most people I spoke to said that they felt somewhat sorry for Curry and could not believe NBC treated her so poorly in her firing. Ann's brief good-bye speech, sans video retrospective tape, was a reminder that when all is said and done, working in television is not for the faint of heart. It was uncomfortable to listen to and watch Ann walk away from her "dream job", but Curry's final farewell reminded me to never be surprised and always be prepared for the following in business:
The Higher You Climb The Harder You Fall
Ann Curry spent 14 years working at NBC where everyone "loved" her. If she made a mistake, or flubbed her lines in delivering the news it was overlooked. However, the minute Ann made the move and rose to the next level, the level of co-anchor of Today, the rules changed and she became fair game for critics, executives and fans to criticize and tear apart. One year after taking the co-anchor job, Curry was out of the co-anchor chair.
It's Not Personal, It's Business
Over the years Ann Curry has jumped out of planes, interviewed the big names, Brad Pitt, Angelia Jolie and the Dalai Lama. On the personal side, friends, co-workers and her co-anchors all had nice things to say about her. Ann is a good reporter and has "the biggest heart in the business." Matt Lauer went on to say during her last day "The way you care about people comes through in every single story you report. There could be a thousand examples, a few that we want to remind our viewers about. I will never forget the way you handled the story of those American hikers who were held captive in Iran in the ordeal they went through and their families went through. And the interview you did with president Ahmadinejad that because of your humanity he chose you to tell that he would be releasing those hikers in just a couple days. It was an extraordinary television and it was your reporting at its best."
But when Today's ratings began to slip and there was a possibility that the show would lose it's money making number one slot in the ratings, business became more important. It appears for executives, the decision to remove Curry from the anchor chair was not personal, it was business.
Practice Grace Under Fire
Ann Curry tried to be stoic when delivering her farewell words, but the weight of the monumental moment got the best of her and she cried. Through it all Curry was graceful and took the high road but found a way to point a finger at her network home...."They are giving me some fancy new titles which essentially means that I am going to get tickets to every big story we want to cover with a terrific team of my choosing. We are going to go all over the world and all over this country at a time when this country and world needs clarity. We are going to do great work I hope and we are being given the chance to do the work that most of us got into journalism to do."
The Show Must Go On And Will Go On Even Without You
Ann Curry said her tearful goodbye on Thursday with Al, Matt and Savannah on the couch. The next day in a press release, Savannah Guthrie was quietly named the new co-anchor of Today. She will make her official debut on Monday July 9 with Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Natalie Morales. Reports say the network paid Curry millions to vacate the co-anchor chair. In her new role as NBC News National and International Correspondent/Anchor and Today Anchor at Large. Moving forward, Curry will report for all platforms of NBC News including its franchises Today, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, Rock Center with Brian Williams, Dateline, MSNBC, as well as having a major presence across all digital properties.
The question most people were asking me this weekend was why? Why would Ann Curry stay at the company after NBC treated her so poorly? All I can say is , it's a very personal decision and only Ann Curry can tell us why.
The question most people were asking me this weekend was why? Why would Ann Curry stay at the company after NBC treated her so poorly? All I can say is , it's a very personal decision and only Ann Curry can tell us why.
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My question is if you were given millions after being fired from your job, would you stay at the company in another position?
TV/Social Media Producer Debbie Mitchell is an Emmy nominated producer who is a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and is currently a member of the James Beard Broadcast and New Media Awards Committee. If you are a brand interested in blogger outreach campaigns, a blogger or personality interested in television placement follow Debbie Mitchell @TVProducerDeb or contact TheBloggerConnection.com.
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