Diane Sawyer's recent forays to Iran and Syria remind me of that George Eliot quote that'll occasionally pop up on billboards for (say) personnel agencies: "It's never too late to be who you might have been."
It's never too late, unless it's too late. But Sawyer has proved that it's definitely never too late. After following this career for a couple of decades, including the extended side-trip to "Good Morning America," I think it's not entirely within the realm of over-heated hyperbole to make the following observation: We are now witnessing the best work she has ever done. It's amazing, really: Passed over at "World News Tonight" (now just "World News") and then drowned (along with everyone else) in the Katie Couric-to-CBS ink, Sawyer was deemed down-and-out by a few observers, with dwindling options and a diminishing future.
Well, well - so much for "observers." Her work from North Korea was outstanding, ditto the last two major trips. She's doing what major anchors are supposed to - go to huge stories and report them. Dan Rather used to do it, and so did Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw. But the current crop of newbies, with a couple of exceptions, has mostly been bound to their desks, or to the U.S. While Di works her interview with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Katie heads to Florida to pick through the wreckage of a tornado. Not that the latter is insignificant, just insignificant by comparison. Her work - and especially this trip to Iran - was made "GMA" the must-watch morning show. Let's put it this way: If you want to find out the latest on Anna Nicole, head to "Today." If you want to find out more about a country and region that will affect our lives and country for a generation, head over to "GMA."
Sawyer may well be setting the table for her future ascendancy to "World News" anchordom. Who knows. Who cares. "What's Diane up to?" is an old and tired guessing game in the TV industry. What matters is the work, and right now, at this moment, this very morning, she's unbeatable.
Remember this from '89? These days, the answer is yes.