Ann Curry’s Wait Finally Pays Off

Ann Curry, who will take over as Matt Lauer‘s co-anchor on the #1 morning broadcast “Today” on June 9, has been waiting in the wings many years for a shot at the top job — although her wings took her to Africa, Asia even the South Pole in between. In late 2009, mediabistro’s Diane Clehane talked with Curry for our “So What Do You Do?” series about the coveted anchor job.

Did you want Katie Couric’s job when she left?

I did think about that job. The one great thing about that job is you have the opportunity to interview newsmakers and have access to major stories. I would have been a fool to not want that job, but the thing about life is that sometimes not getting what you think you want has a silver lining. Had I gotten that job, I might never have been able to go to Darfur four times. I might never have gotten to do what some have said was a transformation hour on Iran and the interview with Ahmadinejad or gone

to Congo and brought attention to the crimes against women there. That’s just the short list.

I think people are often disappointed by not getting exactly what they want. I think the secret is [to] keep your eyes open and not to blink, because you need to see that what is possible is something you may not be paying attention to.

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