Katie Couric Signed On to Keynote at BlogHer 12

BlogHer is headlining megastar broadcast journalist Katie Couric as a Featured Keynote Speaker at this year’s annual conference. Couric will be interviewed by BlogHer co-founder Lisa Stone during the luncheon session on Saturday, August 4th.

The announcement was made today by press release and social media postings by both BlogHer and Katie Couric’s Twitter account. Couric also posted a video announcement where she said:

I am so excited to be a part of BlogHer. It’s such a great group of strong women, which of course is right in my speed spot.

Scoring Couric as a headlining keynote is a coup for BlogHer, and it’s also a testament to BlogHer’s stature as a media powerhouse. It’s exciting that Couric recognizes the leverage gained from appearing at the conference to develop relationships with the massive and influential BlogHer community. Couric has tracked BlogHer for some time. Her conference appearance supports her new projects, both of which tap the influence of new media. Her syndicated daytime show Katie will launch in September and plans to integrate digital activations;  Katie is also key in  the ABC digital news feature partnership with Yahoo.

From the BlogHer conference press release:

“I have been a supporter and follower of BlogHer for some time now, and recognize the influence of the women who are a part of this incredible network,” said Katie Couric. “As we plan for my new show, we’re looking to communities like BlogHer for ideas, input, and conversation. I’m busy this summer getting ready for our first show in September, and being a part of BlogHer is one of the things I’m most excited about.”

Couric is one of the most successful woman in television and is continues to push the evolution of broadcast media. She broke ground as the first woman to solo anchor and serve as managing editor a major network nightly news program for the CBS Evening News in 2006 and has reported on major news events including the BP Oil Spill, the Haitian earthquake in 2010 and the events of 9/11. She’s renown for her interviews of world- and industry leaders, including her pivotal Election 2008 interviews with Sarah Palin.

BlogHer ’12 is the industry’s most important annual conference for women in new media. It will be held  August 2^nd-August 5^th in New York City. Registration for the conference is available at Eventbrite: http://blogher12.eventbrite.com