Legendary journalist, Barbara Walters, has passed away at the age of 93 in her home in New York City. Walters was known for her celebrity interviews and television journalism at ABC News for 28 years.
Barbara Walters was born on September 25, 1929 in Boston, Massachusetts. She earned a BA in English from Sarah Lawrence College. She began her journalism career at NBC New York affiliate, WRCA-TV where she became the youngest female News producer. From there, she moved on to CBS as a News and Public Affairs producer.
Walters made history as the first female anchor for the Today Show in 1974. In 1976, Walters went on to host the evening news on ABC, and three years later becoming a co-host of 20/20. She went on to be the first American journalist to interview Russian President, Vladimir Putin. She bluntly asked him if he had ever ordered for someone to be killed. He replied with a no. She had interviewed every American President from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama.
She launched the Barbara Walters Specials and The 10 Most Fascinating People broadcast where she interviewed high-profile news makers of the year. One of her major accomplishments was creating The View for ABC. She was also a co-host and executive producer of the show that went on to win a Daytime Emmy in 2003. The View is still on the air on ABC.
Barbara Walters was named a Disney Legend in 2008.
Walt Disney Company CEO, Bob Iger, released a statement saying, “Barbara was a true legend, a pioneer not just for women in journalism but for journalism itself. She was a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state to the biggest celebrities and sports icons. I had the pleasure of calling Barbara a colleague for more than three decades, but more importantly, I was able to call her a dear friend. She will be missed by all of us at The Walt Disney Company, and we send our deepest condolences to her daughter, Jacqueline.”
Walters was a true pioneer for women’s journalism. She will be missed.
Source: The Walt Disney Company
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