Barbara Walters: A Trailblazer. An Icon. A Woman.

          

 If there is one word to describe Barbara Walters, it would be trailblazer. Walters has paved paths in every aspect of journalism and will go down as perhaps one of if not the most influential female journalists in history. With respect to the women who came before her, Walter's did not accept no as an answer and was the first female to do many things in the journalism industry.

Barbara was born in September of 1931 in Boston, MA to a very wealthy family. Walters' father was a prominent night club owner who brought in a lot of money for her family. Walters graduated high school in 1949 and shortly after, attended Sarah Lawrence College where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in English.

After her father passed away, their family endured financial struggles and Barbara had to step up and fill that burden when she was just 22-23 years old. In a 1996 interview, Walters said “Until I was about twenty-three or twenty-four, we were very rich. I can go around New York and show you all the penthouses we lived in. And then in my later twenties it was all gone" (Thompson).

With her independence coming extremely early, Walters stepped into the real world and got her first job as a publicity director's assistant for an NBC show. She later went on to become the youngest ever producer at that same station.

Walters began her on-screen career in 1961 where she became the first female to host Today. 14 years later, she was offered a position by ABC news as the first female anchor. She accepted the position as anchored alongside Harry Reasoner but was cut not shortly after due to negative reaction from the public, because of her salary and her different approach to news.

“Harry Reasoner didn't want a partner and he didn't want a woman. He did not talk to me off the air. And I thought it would be news and interviews. Today it's not considered anything if the anchors do an interview.”Walters said in an interview with Virginia Heffernan in The Seoul Times.

Two years after being released for ABC News, she started her own program called The Barbara Walters Special where she interviewed very prominent people from all different aspects of life. The show lasted until 2015 with different variations along the way.

Walters returned to ABC in 1984 where she co-anchored 20/20. This stint stayed in tact for her as she continued to host this program for the majority of her career. In 1999, she became the sole anchor for the show. Walters was also able to secure an Emmy win for her experience on this show.

In 1997, Barbara Walters started a new show called The View, which she co-owned, co-executive producer, and co-hosted. She hosted the show until 2014 but still serves as an executive producer.

It is clear that Barbara Walters has not only done so much for women in the journalism industry, but also for the journalism industry as a whole. The View remains one of the most popular talk shows to this day and Walters' interview with Monica Lewinsky after the Clinton scandal remains one of the most viewed interviews in history.

Barbara Walters has gotten the recognition she so rightfully deserves including 11 Emmy wins, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards, and many more. She was even ranked #25 on Forbes Top 100 Most Influential Women in 2004.

In the beginning of the career, people were hesitant of her and her work and often talked down on her. It is clear though that this was due to intimidation and people being uncomfortable with her ushering in a new era of journalism.

Now, Walters is seen as one of the most humble, inspiring, and experienced journalists to ever step foot in front of the camera. Although the peak of her career has passed, Walters continues everyday to contribute to the journalism industry in any way she can.

Hennessee, Judith. “The Press’s Very Own Barbara Walters Show.” Columbia Journalism Review, vol. 15, no. 2, July 1976, pp. 22–25. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=16303297&site=ehost-live.

Juan Meng, and Po-Lin Pan. “Examining the Representation of Female Journalist: A Framing Study of the News Coverage of Barbara Walters’ Departures.” Conference Papers -- National Communication Association, Nov. 2007, p. 1. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=35505774&site=ehost-live.

Thompson, Kathleen. "Barbara Jill Walters." Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. 27 February 2009. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on April 21, 2021) <https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/walters-barbara>.

https://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php%3Fidx=1014 

https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/barbara-walters-debuts-abc-news-1976-69034551 

https://www.cnn.com/2012/12/05/us/barbara-walters---fast-facts