Barbara Walters, broadcast news pioneer, has died
Barbara Walters broke barriers and inspired a generation, as the first female co-host of a morning and evening newscast.
Scott L. Hall and Patrick Colson-Price, USA TODAY
Celebrities are mourning the loss of broadcast legend and pioneer Barbara Walters, who has died at age 93, ABC News announced during a live special report Friday.
Walters became the first woman to co-host a morning and evening newscast, leaving behind a trailblazing legacy as one of television’s most influential people for more than 50 years.
“We were all influenced by Barbara Walters,” ABC News’ David Muir said in a tribute Friday, remembering Walters his colleague as an “extraordinary human being, journalist, pioneer, legend.”
“She broke barriers behind the scenes and she broke news on-camera. She got people to say things they never would’ve said to another journalist.”
Obituary: Barbara Walters, legendary journalist and trailblazer, dies at 93
Katie Couric also phoned into ABC’s special live report to praise Walters’ legacy as a trailblazing journalist who interviewed political and global leaders, celebrities and more high-profile figures.
“More often than not, Barbara, by virtue of her incredible reputation and being at the top of her game for so many years, she inevitably got so many of the interviews,” Couric said, commending her competitor’s ability to handle stories with “such sensitivity.”
“She brought a certain compassion and care that I think was honestly unparalleled.”
Meghan McCain, former co-host on “The View” called Walters “an icon.”
“Barbara Walters will always be known as a trail blazer,” she wrote on Twitter Friday. “Her hard hitting questions & welcoming demeanor made her a household name and leader in American journalism. Her creation of The View is something I will always be appreciative of.”
Always wanted more, and always got it: Commemorating career of TV trailblazer Barbara Walters
Actress Lynda Carter, who starred in the live-action television series “Wonder Woman,” posted an old interview with Walters to honor the “American institution.”
“As the first female national news anchor, she opened the door to endless possibilities for so many girls who wanted to work in TV, myself included. Her impact cannot be overstated. I’ll miss you, Barbara. Thank you for everything,” she wrote.
Disney CEO Robert Iger paid tribute to the “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 and leaders of regimes 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,” Iger wrote.
Alyssa Milano thanked Walters for “helping me find my voice.”
Former NBA player and The Hollywood Reporter columnist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar commemorated Walters’ abilities to hold “the world’s most powerful people” accountable with her reporting.
“She cared about the truth and she made us care too. Fortunately, she inspired many other journalists to be just as unrelenting. We are all better off because of her,” he tweeted.
Walters made her on-air debut in 1956, when as a writer for CBS’ “The Morning Show,” she and four other young women modeled modest one-piece bathing suits. In 1961, she became NBC’s “Today Girl,” and in 1974, the first female co-host of “Today.” She later enjoyed a long career at ABC interviewing celebrities and politicians, including Egypt’s Anwar Sadat and Israel’s Menachem Begin (together, for the first time, in 1977).
Her “Barbara Walters Specials” for years were among the top-rated broadcasts, and included a Who’s Who of entertainers such as Sir Laurence Olivier, Bing Crosby, Bette Davis, Tom Cruise, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Her “Most Fascinating People” special broadcasts, launched in 1993, offered a year-end review of prominent newsmakers of the year.
Walters had a successful run on newsmagazine “20/20” and in 1997, launched “The View,” ABC’s daily chatfest aimed at women.
Word surfaced in 2013 that Walters planned to retire the following year from her hosting duties at ABC’s “The View” and her prime time specials. She announced in April 2014 that she would depart the talk show the next month, explaining on the program: “It feels right for me. I love this show. I love what we’ve done. It will continue without me. But I also know that it’s time. I don’t want people to say, ‘Is she still here?'”
Shortly before her departure, she told USA TODAY the decision was not forced upon her. “Nobody was pushing me, (and) there was not somebody newer, younger, funnier,” she said. “At some point, I just thought it was time. If I stayed yet another year, I’m not sure what that would have given me. It’s been 18 years.”
Contributing: Bob Minzesheimer
