Barbara Walters is Tired of Tabloid Interviews

Famed television interviewer Barbara Walters has announced that she is tired of celebrity interviews, reports Reuters News.

The host who is known for her ability to draw emotion and revelations from her guests says that she is sick of the tabloid trend she contributes to with interviews with people like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.

Walters became the first female American network news anchor thirty years ago and has interviewed every U.S. president since Richard Nixon, as well as many other international leaders.

More recently, though, the television journalist has earned praise and criticism for less pressing interviews with celebrities. And now, just before her annual show, "The 10 Most Fascinating People," the 78-year-old Walters says she is ready to focus on other things.

Rather than consider people like Britney Spears or Paris Hilton who are typical features of "week in, week out" news, Walters is preparing for interviews with former President Bill Clinton, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, the founders of "My Space," and controversial radio host Don Imus.

In speaking of the new media world that is filled with tabloid news, Walters says, "It's a different climate now and 20/20 and the other magazines are focused on the big celebrities. I don't want to keep doing that, I have been doing it for years."

Barbara Walters was one of the first journalists to start interviewing more celebrities, focusing on what is called "personality journalism," and in the beginning she was criticized. "And now," she says, "every program does it."