Katie Couric's Sarah Palin Interview Wins Cronkite Award (VIDEO)

Katie Couric has won a Cronkite Award for her revealing, multi-part interview of Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

The Cronkite Awards have been presented biannually by the USC Annenberg School for Communication, in honor of CBS News legend Walter Cronkite, since 2000.

Couric won her award in the category "Special Achievement for National Impact on the 2008 Campaign." In the awards announcement, judges called Couric's interview with Palin a "defining moment in the 2008 presidential campaign," and described it as "extraordinary, persistent and detailed."

The interview — in which Palin spoke about Alaska's proximity to Russia and was unable to name a single national publication that she read — was an instant classic, and would be parodied on "Saturday Night Live," with Tina Fey playing Palin against Amy Poehler's Couric.

ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" also won a Cronkite Award, for its "On the Trail" series.

"Judges praised the incisive and compelling nature of the reports, as well as [Stephanopoulous'] thorough preparation," the announcement said.

Watch Couric's full award-winning interview with Palin below:

Comments

[duncansdad]

Give Katie a raise!

[michiganman2]

CONGRATS KATIE

THANKS FOR EXPOSING THE GOP AND ITS SOCK PUPPET

[PhilipTaylor]

So is the Cronkite School at Arizona State University effectively saying Palin was a strange pick by their own State Senator McCain in his run for President?

That would be a natual conclusion that shows up strongly in the results of the 2008 Election!

[toocoldout]

Had it not been for this interview, the Democratic ticket probably would have won by 7.5 million votes instead of 8 million votes. So while I don't think it had any effect on the election outcome, it certainly affected the margin of victory.

[mywordisgospel]

Congratulations Katie. That interview really was a classic.

[RuthlessDictator]

Katie Couric has earned this award for sure. Honestly I didn't know she had it in her.

Katie I'm so sorry I said all those bad things about you. I didn't mean it! You are my new favorite journalist.

[CAHertzfe]

Palin 2012 / Keep it coming ya Betcha!

[Maezeppa]

Talk about grade inflation! Any night of the week Rachel Maddow is more penetrating, with twice the voltage and ten times the charm.

[MissKaren]

Yes and they are digging in different wells.

[roshni]

Agree.

[ayisha]

i disagree. it's more like taking a 3rd spelling test when you're a high school senior. SP is the one who should get the award. after all, her pathetic performance made KC look like a hard-hitting journalist. that being said, i agree that RM is more penetrating any night of the week, but can you seriously try to imagine her interviewing SP? Rachel would mop the floor with her. Katie was a pussycat, and Sarah was simply too stupid to connect.

[EvasDaddy]

May we assume then, that The Annenburg School did not consult with you on this choice?

Or is it that they DID consult with you, but ignored your stupid opinion?

[kennybean]

Congrats Katie, my eternal gratitude for exposing that bouffant on snowshoes.

[ChristineAnn]

Katie conducted an extremely professional interview.

She allowed Palin the time to fully expand on her points of view, unlike the Billo interview where he interrupted candidate Obama continuously. She moderated her voice well. She asked intelligent questions that were fair, and not designed to trip up the interviewee. She displayed her own broad-based knowledge of the subjects at hand, and was able to probe for more detail without seeming pushy.

Sarah sab.otaged herself, and that is what was so delicious about this particular interview. If Katie had tried to railroad her subject, the interview would not have been nearly as effective.

She gave her enough rope to ha.ng herself. Nothing more, nothing less. Pure genius.

[RadGash]

My GOD when I review this interview, it only hits me harder than before of just what a TOTAL INCOMPETENT IDIOT this woman is.... America, you indeed dodged the bullet on this election!

[Princeton]

Alas, we may not survive the bullet called Bush Jr..

[EvasDaddy]

And what bullet may that be?

[CosmicSpaceTurtle]

Exposing Sarah Palin for the uneducated and hateful hillbilly that she is is probably one of the greatest favors the media has ever done for the US public. It's terrifying to imagine that woman anywhere near the White House.

[dst1]

Sarah 'NIGHTMARE' Palin, Thank God she is at home in Alaska!!!

[learnsomething]

I can't count how many times I cursed McCain, from August until November 4, for disrespecting the sincerity of a VP selection, by choosing this woman.

[chicagominx]

Congratulations Katie. Great work.

[kellygrrrl]

and nobody saw it coming ... that was the best part about it.
everyone (Dems and Repubs) assumed the interview was going to be a sweet little coffee chat.

[RachelMc]

when this interview ran i was soooooooooooooo happy. i was tired of the noise being made about this woman. i was so sick of her trying to represent american females