Katie Couric Gets Physical

If you work for the CBS Evening News, you have to be careful not to use words like “sputum.” If not, you may catch yourself engaged in fisticuffs with lead anchor Katie Couric.

The alleged incident took place last month.  And according to all parties involved, things got a bit out of control. 

A source told press, “During the tuberculosis story in June, Couric got angry with news editor Cipriano for using a word she detested— ’sputum’ —and the staff grew tense when she began slapping him ‘over and over and over again’ on the arm, according to a source familiar with the scene. It had seemed like a joke at first, but it quickly became clear that she wasn’t kidding.”

And Katie admits that she lost her cool. “I sort of slapped him around.  I got mad at him and said, ‘You can’t do this to me. You have to tell me when you’re going to use a word like that.’ I was aggravated, there’s no question about that.”

Fortunately, the whole staff is able to sit back and laugh at the incident.  “We did ban the word sputum from all future broadcasts. It became kind of a joke,” laughed Couric.

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