WASHINGTON — The three network anchors will travel to Europe and the Middle East next week for Barack Obama’s trip, adding their high-wattage spotlight to what already is shaping up as a major media extravaganza.
Lured by an offer of interviews with the Democratic presidential candidate, Brian Williams, Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric will make the overseas trek, meaning that the NBC, ABC and CBS newscasts will originate from stops along the route.
John McCain has taken three foreign trips in the past four months, all unaccompanied by a single network anchor.
About 200 journalists have asked to accompany Obama on the trip, which will include stops in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the campaign will be able to accommodate only one-fifth that number. No itinerary has been announced.
The Illinois senator has been drawing far more media attention than his Republican rival from Arizona. With this week’s Newsweek cover story on Obama’s religious beliefs, he has been featured on Time and Newsweek covers 12 times in the past three years, compared with five for McCain.
The upcoming Obama trip, by contrast, has already generated stories about how large his crowds will be and whether German authorities will allow him to speak at the Brandenburg Gate. “Europe Awaits Obama with Open Arms,” the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
