Maria Shriver says she will not return to her television news career, a decision she made after observing media coverage of Anna Nicole Smith's death earlier this year.

"It was then that I knew that the TV news business had changed and so had I," Shriver said Tuesday at the California Governor and First Lady's Conference on Women . "I called NBC News and told them I'm not coming back."

But maybe there's still a door open at NBC? Appearing on Today Tuesday, Shriver talked with Natalie Morales about leading a Conference panel discussion of presidential candidates' spouses, joking that "since I didn't have a job at NBC any more, I had to get a moderating job here at the conference."

"You always have a job here, Maria," Morales said.

"Oh, thank you, Natalie," Shriver responded, with a laugh. "I'll call you after the show."