Much was made in the media last night about Meredith Vieira becoming the first woman to host primetime coverage of the Olympics, when she filled in for pink-eyed Bob Costas.
Aren’t we past pretending things like this are a milestone? Vieira is a versatile broadcaster who has been on TV for decades as a reporter, anchor, talk show host, game show host, and now she’s done the Olympics, which are nothing more than a big, long television show. She’s had plenty of experience in that department and knows how to handle live television.
The media that covers the media — which, by the way, includes plenty of women — shouldn’t pretend Vieira was a pioneer last night. She’s a broadcaster who handled an assignment like the pro that she is, and that’s not groundbreaking.