The Scoop On Couric’s Agassi Interview

Why didn’t Katie Couric ask the hard questions when she interviewed tennis great Andre Agassi?

That’s the question former “Early Show” and “GMA” executive producer Shelley Ross posed on Facebook following a report in the NY Times that revealed Couric didn’t ask Agassi about his crystal meth use the first time they spoke with him for Sunday’s ‘60 Minutes‘ interview.

“Anyone have an explanation?” asked Ross in her post.

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For news pros and junkies, it’s a good, interesting and revealing behind-the-scenes question.

According to the New York Times, “CBS News had been working for weeks on a piece about Mr. Agassi for ‘60 Minutes’… Ms. Couric and her producers had access to the book and had been in Las Vegas interviewing Mr. Agassi. Apparently, neither Ms. Couric nor her producers decided to ask Mr. Agassi directly about the crystal meth use, although he brought up drug use in general when discussing his depression.”

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Then the news broke via a Sports Illustrated reporter who tweeted it on his Twitter account. Even though the reporter’s tweet was removed after 25 minutes because it usurped potential newsmaking book excerpts in Sports Illustrated and People magazine, it was up long enough for the news to circulate – and it got to Couric and company, who realized they had been scooped.

“But once the news broke, and the media storm ensued,” the NY Times piece revealed, “Ms. Couric went back to Las Vegas on Tuesday to ask Mr. Agassi about it and his take on the public’s reaction.”

So why did Couric decide to softball her interview the first time around? The final piece was excellent, but, as Ross asks, “Anyone have an explanation?”

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