Not silly

Katie Couric: Munchkingate

Last week, Katie Couric mentioned her love of Dunkin Donuts Munchkins, a pleased DD franchise sent over a few boxes of the donutty wads, plus coffee. And because this is the world we live in, the blog commenter outrage began:

A[n] honorable journalist would have said thank you and turn[ed] the munchkins back. ... The whole affair gives the impression of being paid off. ... I was under the impression that CBS had standard[s] for getting gifts.

The CBS News Public Eye blog tried to kick this conflict up the chain of command, since if there's one thing every media executive wants to know about immediately, it's angry blog commenters. No response as yet from the senior vice president in question, but could this be Couric's Dan-Rather-like fall from grace? Developing!

It wouldn't have been a problem on the Today Show. It isn't a problem on Howard Stern.

But Katie Couric is an anchor at CBS News. Taking gifts from a corporation should be prohibited. It seems like a small deal, but people have lost jobs over this. Journalists must be careful in taking gratuities other people are not offered. I know this is a nice gesture, but it isn't one CBS News should participate in without offering to pay.

They should have paid for the food.