Ann Curry discussed the firing of her former Today co-host Matt Lauerand correcting power imbalances in the workplace with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show on Monday.
Currys professional relationship with Lauer at Today was strained and Colbert pointed out that he was widely seen as the man behind her ousting from the program in 2012. Its no secret that Matt Lauer forced you out of the Today show, Colbert said. With the Times Up movement and #MeToo ongoing, do you think one man, no matter how powerful, would be able to force out a seasoned journalist like yourself [now]?
Were a long way from fixing the problem, Curry said. Its more than a conversation; its about action. And its about not just telling people they cant do certain things, its about changing the dynamic, the power balance, within companies so that women are not seen as people who could never rise to the top.
Curry is no stranger to sexism in media. When she started as an intern in Medford, Oregon in 1978, the station she worked for had never employed a female reporter. She told Colbert that one colleague discouraged her from taking the position on the grounds that women have no news judgement, and you cant carry the camera. Colbert dug up an old photo of Curry with her all-male colleagues. This really looks like an outtake from Anchorman, he quipped. This could be Ron Burgundys news team.
Curry previously spoke about the institutional bias that enables powerful men to do whatever they wantonCBS This Morning.I would be surprised if many women [working at Today] did not understand that there was a climate of verbal harassment that existed.
Curry is now at the helm of her own production company. Her new show, called We Meet Again,set to debut on PBS on January 23rd.