NEW YORK (AP) – Matt Lauer has no regrets asking General Motors CEO Mary Barra about balancing work and motherhood, saying he sees it as an issue that affects all working parents regardless of their gender.
The host of NBC’s “Today” show said Friday he’d welcome the same question if it were put to him. He noted that he missed his son’s 13th birthday to be in Detroit for the Barra interview.
He struck a nerve in Thursday’s live interview with a question criticized as sexist – no small issue for the host of a network show where women are the bulk of the audience.
“This is one of the major conversations of our generation,” Lauer, 56, told The Associated Press. “I view it very differently. I view it not as a gender issue, but as a work-life balance issue.”
The question came at the end of a two-part interview primarily about GM’s response to safety issues. At first, Lauer asked about reports that one reason Barra got her job was because she could put forth a softer face and image for the company at a difficult time.