exclusive

Diane Sawyer is on the cover of Washington magazine Capitol File magazine, with an accompanying article that goes to great lengths to present her as an ambitious, accomplished leader in her industry, made all the more impressive considering the challenges she faced as she rose to prominence as a woman in a man’s world.

The headline? WOMAN ON TOP.

Remember when an anchor stepping down was a huge deal? Tom Brokaw. Dan Rather. Peter Jennings. These names were huge pillars of the news ecosystem, and their departures were big stories — as well as the fraught issue of who had the gravitas to step into their anchorly shoes.

Oh, how things have changed. Today, the news that Charlie Gibson is leaving ABC’s World News after only a few years in the top spot is definitely news, but is shaking no foundations. It’s also not at all surprising who is replacing him: Diane Sawyer. Well, except that she’s a woman.