Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer Introduces Katie Couric, Pitches Media At CES

At the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer discussed the four major areas in which she hopes to expand the web giant’s influence. One of those key areas is video, which Mayer hyped by officially introducing the recently-hired Katie Couric to the Las Vegas crowd.

Couric made waves in November when she announced her intention to migrate online full time as a member of Yahoo’s news team. At CES, she explained that part of her impetus for joining Yahoo was a desire to uphold “core values of old-fashioned journalism” in a landscape often fraught with shoddy reporting and clickbait. “Technology has connected us to the world,” Couric said. “Anyone with a cell phone and Twitter account can be a reporter. Linking has often replaced reporting,” she explained.

Couric won’t be alone in her battle against the Buzzfeeds and Upworthies of the world. Mayer also brought former New York Times reporter David Pogue

to the CES stage, where he talked about the magazine-like Yahoo Tech section. “Media has long been one of Yahoo’s key strengths,” said Mayer.

Content itself was less prominent, though Saturday Night Live cast members Cecily Strong and Kenan Thompson did appear to discuss the proliferation of SNL content on Yahoo. Mayer did note that mobile distribution of content would be key, citing the 27% in smartphone usage in 2013.

Mayer first revealed Yahoo’s four key areas growth during the company’s Q2 2013 earnings call. In addition to video, Yahoo will key in on search, display, and mobile; we should hear more about all four of those topics in the months leading up to the 2014 Digital Content Newfronts.

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