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| Meredith Vieira interviews former President Bill Clinton in 2006. Photo Credit: NBC News |
I saw a headline on the Huffington Post website about NBC Today co-anchor Meredith Vieira that caught my attention-- Meredith Vieira: "I'm Not Afraid To Go" From The "Today" Show.
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| Photo Credit: NBC News |
Vieira's contract with NBC expires next year and there is already speculation that she will leave the top-rated morning news program. That speculation seems to come from an interview she granted Ladies' Home Journal last November in which she said, "I'll know when it's time to go, and I'm not afraid to go."
While many people might think that once a television journalist or personality reaches a pinnacle position, like the one Vieira has, they want to hold on to it for as long as possible, no matter what. That is not always the case.
The story reminds me of a scene in Star Wars: Episode III where Chancellor Palpatine shares with a vulnerable and conflicted Anakin Skywalker that "all who gain power are afraid to lose it." There is a certain amount of power and prestige, not to mention fame and fortune, that come from anchoring a news program, especially a top-rated program like Today. Clearly, all of those things don't intoxicate Vieira.
