Two giants of morning news have fallen in two weeks, and twice their programs have been helmed capably by women in their immediate absences.
Viewers accustomed to Charlie Rose humming in the background of their morning routines awoke the day after news of his alleged sexual harassment broke to a show steered solely by Norah O’Donnell and Gayle King, both of whom successfully took up the task of informing the audience about accusations against their colleague.
A similar fate befell another morning news anchor one week later.
For two decades, faithfuls of the “Today” show received morning headlines from leading anchor Matt Lauer, but were greeted early on Wednesday by a solemn duo of Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. Like O’Donnell and King, they faced the challenge of delivering news of their colleague’s alleged behavior to millions of viewers. Both were emotional but fair, rising to the occasion as well as anyone could.
The show must go on, and in the absence of Rose and Lauer it did, thanks in large part to the talents of their female colleagues. For women across the country, that reality bears great symbolic weight.
But in neither circumstance did the anchors explicitly make this argument. Their work spoke for itself. The understated significance of these powerful exhibitions in utter female competence, amid so many stories of predation and abuse, sends a stronger message than words could convey.
