George Stephanopoulos Promoted by ABC News
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James Joyner | Tuesday, December 13, 2005 |
George Stephanopoulos has been promoted to chief Washington correspondent for ABC News, putting him in line with competitors Tim Russert and Bob Schieffer.
ABC Promotes George Stephanopoulos (AP)
ABC News has appointed “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos as its chief Washington correspondent, adding duties to his weekly job at the helm of the Sunday morning political talk show. Stephanopoulos, about to start his 10th year at ABC News, will also report for network programs “World News Tonight,” “Nightline” and “Good Morning America,” ABC News President David Westin said Monday. He will also oversee the network’s coverage of Congress with the impending departure of reporter Linda Douglass.
The new job title will put Stephanopoulos, an adviser to President Clinton before joining ABC News, in line with his Sunday-morning competitors: Bob Schieffer is chief Washington correspondent for CBS News, and Tim Russert is Washington bureau chief at NBC News.
“This Week,” where Stephanopoulos has been anchor since 2002, is currently third in the ratings behind NBC’s “Meet the Press” and CBS’ “Face the Nation,” but Westin said it had its best November sweeps performance in three years.
Because of his background as a Clinton partisan, I was quite dubious when Stephanopoulos was made anchor. He has done a fine job, though, and the format of the show has evolved into one of the more interesting.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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I disagree with your assessment of his abilities.
I think he is a terrible interviewer, and since he took over for Brinkley, the show seems to have gotten worse and gotten too Hollywood-he seems to have too many fluff segments rather than true news segments.
About the only thing in his favor is a pretty face.
He didn't take over for Brinkley but for Cokie Roberts and Sam Donaldson.
Speaking of Brinkley, the morning shows could use a man like him today.
I'm with you on Stephanopoulos. Some will be more open and shut ... Steph - Clinton - bad - brain off. He may have started as a Clinton lackey, but he surely didn't end his time at the White House that way.
As a former insider he can and does provide great insight. I don't always agree with him, but I enjoy his writing and his commentary. I really liked Cokie, but this is a big step up from Donaldson.
Mr. Stphenopoulos is a very good newsman...and in no way should we give Mr. Clinton any credit for that. He has all of the ability to stand alone and do well with his ABC program.
When a sitcom is in trouble they have a wedding. When a news program is in trouble they promote the host. Try some fluff, get some ink, maybe someone will watch. Steph's show is lowest rated of the big three because he's not up to the job. He's still too Clinton, still too liberal, still too shallow. Making him the bureau chief won't change a thing. It will just add one sentence to the news story when he is replaced or the show cancelled.
I wonder if this promotion of Steph. by ABC is payback for the (Cooperation) Steph gave ABC during the Clinton years.
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