Her words were ones that are not foreign (by any means) to us – she talks about how people’s priorities are too often not where they should be (empahsis mine):

Pursuing something you love should be the first thing on your post-graduate to do list. But too often, that’s not what drives young people as they look at their life goals. According to a recent survey, many say their top two priorities are number 1, being rich, and number 2, being famous. Believe me, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be ... and I know Williams grads are smarter than that.

But thanks to self-made You Tube productions, and so-called reality shows like The Apprentice and Survivor, ... fame, even the fleeting sanjaya-type, seems easier to attain, and more seductive, than ever.

The proliferation of celebrity magazines makes Lindsey Lohan’s latest stint in rehab seem more important than what’s happening in Darfur.

The kind of fluff that accosts us on the newsstand may seem like harmless fun, but it should also come with a warning label that says it can rot your mind and distort your values.

Well, how about that? Katie and I agree on something. Agree wholeheartedly on this. We are accosted with absolutely mindless crap that takes up way too much time, rots Murka’s brain and numbs them from the horrors that are occurring in Darfur. Or the lies of this Administration, the voter suppression by those who are now in our Justice Department and on the Federal Elections Commission. As well as the daily deaths and bombings – AND complete disaster in Iraq. Not to mention the economy, what is happening in Congress and in Afghanistan.

Good thing that Katie Couric happens to be in a bit of a position to do something about this. That she can use the platform she has as anchor of what has historically been the most venerable institution in US network news. So she can talk about the atrocities in Darfur, the killings in Iraq, the torture being carried our in our names, the ever increasing price of gas or milk, the shrinking middle class, the fearmongering and lies being perpetuated by this administration and the events going on in the world and our country which shape our daily lives.

Right?

Right?

Um……. not so fast.

Seems as though Katie couldn’t resist that mind rotting, values distorting fluff:

On Thursday night, the CBS Evening News’ top story was Bush and Putin discussing missile defense, to which the network devoted two minutes and 35 seconds. The next longest item was Paris Hilton’s release from jail, which garnered two minutes and 25 seconds.

During the half-hour broadcast, the Paris Hilton “news” got more coverage on CBS than a roadside bomb killing a U.S. soldier, the immigration legislation, and passage of the stem-cell bill combined — times two.

Way to go, Katie. Twice as long on Paris Hilton than immigration, the latest killings of our troops in Iraq and the immigration legislation which Bush himself hoped would “save his legacy”. COMBINED.

You and your bosses at CBS Evening News have a lot to be proud of. Taking the mantle of journalism and smashing it to pieces. One broadcast at a time.