Diane Sawyer's Adirondack entanglement

Diane Sawyer is stepping up to serve as the anchor of ABC's "World News," one of the most powerful and prestigious platforms any journalist can hold.

Sawyer has had both a storied and a controversial career.

She was part of Richard Nixon's entourage in the 1970s, staying on with his administration long after the wheels had come off.

Shortly after helping Nixon write his memoirs, she began work with ABC News.

Her professional resume also has a brief North Country entanglement. As part of a "Primetime" broadcast, she oversaw a story about Kyle Nelson -- a girl from Vermontville.

ABC's camera crew filmed violent scenes including Kyle without notifying authorities. She was 15-years old at the time.

Nelson later sued and ABC settled the case, without disclosing the terms.

Listening to Sawyer's performance on the piece, and her later rationalizations about the case, it's hard not to cringe.

Obviously, one can't judge a journalist's career -- or anyone's career -- based on a few questionable decisions.

(My boneheaded choices would fill a journalism textbook...)

But it's worth noting that the three nightly network newscasts are among the last bastions of quality, balanced journalism on television.

Sawyer will now steward and shape one of those programs -- where millions of Americans go, not for infotainment or "reality TV," but for essential information.

She'll be held to a much higher standard now than ever before.