Best wishes, Katie.
The chair you'll occupy can be the driver's seat.
Where will you take us?
Will you use your position to help the venerable eye of CBS News open just a little wider, to see more complex issues, more shades of gray, more stories that have no easy answers? Take the high road.

RELATED CONTENT

The Couric Watch: Track developments in the story here. Early Anchors: a chronology of TV news by Poynter's David Shedden. Round-up of links from Poynter's Jim Romenesko. Coverage highlights and reader comments from USA Today's On Deadline blog.

Good going, Katie.
The chair you'll occupy can be a pulpit.
What's your sermon?
Countless women in journalism hope your message is simple: news leadership isn't gender-limited. Old boys’ networks improve with estrogen therapy.  And charisma and intellect aren't mutually exclusive.

Stay strong, Katie.
The chair you’ll occupy can be a target.
How will you dodge the snipers?
Speak truth to power, prudently but fearlessly, although messenger-killing is a sport these days. Be exacting about accuracy in a world steeped in speed.  Be an ambassador for ethics, a voice for journalistic values.

Have fun, Katie.
The chair you’ll occupy can be a thrill ride.
How will you help your network innovate?
Be a responsible risk-taker. Promote creativity as well as credibility. Get information to people wherever they want to find it. Remember, though, that in a world of narrowcasts and niches, we still need a town square -- a place where we gather as a community to experience events that matter. And gathered, we need a trusted guide.

Take your chair, take good care -- and congratulations, Katie Couric.