Barbara Walters pioneer of women’s journalism passes away
Barbara Walters, the trailblazing journalist who broke barriers for women in broadcasting and media, has passed away. She was 93. ABC first reported her death on Twitter Friday evening, December 30th. She was surrounded by her loved ones and died peacefully at her Manhattan home.
BREAKING: Barbara Walters, who shattered the glass ceiling and became a dominant force in an industry once dominated by men, has died. She was 93. https://t.co/tydwREgTb2 pic.twitter.com/b4jOEHVYFE
— ABC News (@ABC) December 31, 2022
Barbara was born Barbara Jill Walters in 1929 to Jewish parents in Boston and attended Sarah Lawrence College, graduating in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. Following her early employment at a New York ad agency, she was hired by CBS as a producer for their local New York station and grabbed one of her first interviews with the survivors of the Andrea Doria sinking. It was there at CBS that she made her first onscreen debut. In 1961, Barbara joined the NBC News Team as a writer for The Today Show, and three years later, she was promoted to a regular on-air reporter, tackling the weather and softer news pieces.
At a time when men primarily ruled the media industry, Barbara broke the molds, setting a fine example for future women journalists.
"This is what I tell, especially young women, fight the big fights. Don’t fight the little fight… Be the first one in, be the last one out. Do your homework, choose your battles. Don’t whine, and don’t be the one who complains about everything. Fight the big fight.-Barbara Walters"
She left The Today Show and NBC for ABC in 1976 as a co-anchor for the ABC Evening News (rebranded now as World News Tonight) alongside colleague Harry Reasoner. She held that position until 1978.
20/20, The View, and interview breakthroughs
In 1979, Barbara rejoined her former The Today Show co-host Hugh Downs for ABC’s debut of their news docuseries, 20/20, as a special contributor and then later as a regular host. In her reign at ABC, she interviewed notable people, including Monica Lewinsky, Betty White, and former president Donald Trump.
In 1997, Barbara created The View, a daytime talk show that featured a panel of varied-background women, including herself, and went on to win multiple Daytime Emmys. She stepped down as an onscreen panel member in 2004 but continued as executive producer until her 2014 retirement. To this day, The View continues to be successful.
If there was anything truly memorable about Barbara Walters, it was her gift of interviewing. She knew how to get into the depths of people, getting them to open up and tell their truths fully. Some say it was “invasive,” but those she connected with reflected how they learned more about themselves.
The Legacy of Barbara Walters
Barbara Walters left her impression on several of today’s news broadcasters. David Muir, who is now the chief anchor of World News Tonight, not only called Barbara an “icon,” “legend,” and a trailblazer,” but also “brave.” She was brave in entering the media industry and approached her career with a strong force.
The behind her decades-long career was being able to provide substantial care for her older sister Jaqueline, who was born with developmental disabilities. At the same time, Barbara also learned more about herself and her ambition to break ground.
In celebration of her life and accolades, ABC aired a special two-hour special on Sunday, January 1st.