Matt Lauer expressed disappointment over the media's handling of the Ann Curry issue in an interview with Esquire magazine, according to Fox News.

Fans and critics of the NBC's "Today" show have been blaming Lauer for the firing of Ann Curry, his former co-host in the show. Speculations in the media were strong that Lauer and Curry were at odds with each other, and that off-camera the two anchors barely spoke a word, as revealed by She Knows Entertainment.

Curry had served as Lauer's substitute from 1994 to 1997 in the show, and became a news anchor from 1997 to 2011. She holds the second longest track record for being a news anchor at "Today," next to veteran broadcast journalist Frank Blair. In 2012, Curry was unceremoniously axed from "Today," giving viewers the strong impression that the network maltreated Curry. An audience favourite, Curry earned much sympathy after she tearfully informed viewers that she was leaving the show as co-anchor. Lauer and NBC executives suffered intense backlash from fans in social media sites because of the ouster.

In his Esquire magazine profile, NBC's golden boy Matt Lauer revealed that, "The way the media treated what happened with Ann Curry was a disappointing learning experience. I was disappointed by the laziness of the media, the willingness to read a rumor, repeat that rumor, and treat it as a fact. And yet, what were my options? Does anyone want to see a person who's making the money that the newspapers say I'm making complaining, "Woe is me, my life is terrible, and people are being unfair"? No one would've had any patience for that. I wouldn't have any patience for that. So you just shut up and go about doing your job and hope that people who know you well - your friends and your family - know what's true."

Curry's ouster came after Today's massive spiral in ratings with its competitor, ABC's "Good Morning America."