Barbara Walters, the groundbreaking television journalist who was known for her exceptional interviewing techniques and impressive broadcasting career, has passed away at age 93 according to her spokesperson. She will forever be remembered as a pioneer in the media industry whose legacy continues on.
“Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones. She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists but for all women,” Walters’ spokesperson said in a statement.
In 1961, Walters launched her esteemed broadcasting career as a reporter and panel member for NBC’s “Today” show before eventually being elevated to co-host in 1974. In 1976, she made history by joining ABC News as the inaugural female anchor of an evening news program.
After joining the ABC network, Barbara Walters created “The Barbara Walters Specials” and “10 Most Fascinating People,” before becoming a correspondent for “20/20” in 1984. Throughout her career she has interviewed all US presidents and first ladies since Richard and Pat Nixon – an impressive feat!
For over half a century, Barbara Walters was an undeniable force in the entertainment industry. From interviewing world leaders on news programs to hosting her own “Barbara Walters Specials” and even anchoring the iconic daytime talk show ‘The View’, which features diverse female panelists discussing current events, there is no denying that she has left a tremendous legacy of influence in this field.
Her television shows, some of which she created and produced herself, were extremely popular and spawned a variety of imitators. For example, “The View” debuted in 1997 and set the trend for American talk shows like “The Talk” and “The Chew,” along with international programs such as Britain’s “Loose Women” or Norway’s “Studio5.”
Walters’ departure from “The View” in 2014 did not mark the end of her relationship with ABC News; she remained a part-time contributor for two more years.
“I knew it was time,” in an interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo, Walters imparted her thoughts. “I like all the celebration, that’s great, but in my heart, I thought, ‘I want to walk away while I’m still doing good work.’ So I will.”
Gazing at the many female admirers she had collected throughout her career, Walters proclaimed them to be her legacy.
“How do you say goodbye to something like 50 years in television?” she concluded. “How proud when I see all the young women who are making and reporting the news. If I did anything to help make that happen, that is my legacy. From the bottom of my heart, to all of you with whom I have worked and who have watched and been by my side, I can say: ‘Thank you.’ “
Throughout her life, Walters was betrothed to the esteemed business executive Robert Katz, producer Lee Guber and entertainment mogul Merv Adelson – all of which ended in a divorce except for the second marriage with Mr. Adelson which concluded in 1992. She leaves behind her daughter Jackie whom she and Mr. Guber adopted back in 1968 as their own child.
Barbara Walters was born into a life of celebrity on September 25, 1929, in Boston. Her father, Lou, owned nightclubs and put on theatrical shows; due to her upbringing around celebrities, Barbara never felt intimidated when interviewing them as an adult.
In 1953, Walters obtained her college degree from Sarah Lawrence College.
Walters was fiercely competitive in her pursuit of the most prominent interviews, creating a long-standing rivalry between her and another one of ABC’s primetime news stars such as Diane Sawyer. That even included vying for Caitlyn Jenner’s first interview which Sawyer secured back in 2015. Despite this competition, Walters left behind an unparalleled legacy that will continue to inspire generations to come.
Walters was well-renowned for her ability to emotionally move interviewees, including presidents and world leaders. Her legacy is highlighted by the 1999 Monica Lewinsky Interview which had an estimated 48.5 million viewers watching and a historic 1977 joint conversation with Egypt’s Anwar Sadat and Israel’s Menachem Begin that no other interviewer could pull off.
In the 1960s, Walter’s first gig was on NBC’s morning show ‘Today’, where she reported what was then regarded as “women’s stories.” In 1974, she made history when she officially became a co-anchor of the program. Just two years later her fame skyrocketed; leaving “Today” and joining ABC as the first woman to become an anchor for a network evening broadcast solidified her iconic status in television with a record-breaking million-dollar annual salary.
Though her term as co-anchor was brief due to Harry Reasoner’s lack of fondness for her, Barbara Walters left a lasting impression in the world of television. She stayed with the network for nearly four decades and became well-known as she appeared on “20/20” (with Hugh Downs from her time at “Today”), hosted “The View”, and presented numerous specials. By the end, it was clear that she had won over hearts – even those who initially doubted or disliked here!
She was both the subject of comedic mockery, with Gilda Radner’s famous parody of her as “BabaWawa” on Saturday Night Live, and acclaimed for her work in television journalism, being awarded multiple Emmys, a Peabody Award and even a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
She would only shrug in response to criticism often raised by men taken aback by her direct and outspoken nature, disparagingly characterizing her as brash.
“If it’s a woman, it’s caustic; if it’s a man, it’s authoritative. If it’s a woman it’s too pushy, if it’s a man it’s aggressive in the best sense of the word,” she once said.
