On this week’s special episode of The Georgia Politics Podcast, we examine the life and legacy of the late Barbara Walters with WSB’s Michelle Wright.
Barbara Walters blazed a trail for female journalists in the industry and inspired the likes of Jane Pauley, Katie Couric and Diane Sawyer.
Walters big break came when she joined The Today Show in 1961 and was named co-host of the show in 1974, becoming the first female co-host of a U.S. news program. She would go on to sign a five-year, $5 million contract with ABS, making her the highest paid news anchor – male or female – in the United States.
WALTERS
Throughout her career, Walters would interview every sitting U.S. President and first lady from Richard and Pat Nixon to Barack and Michelle Obama. Some of her most famous, and sometime notorious, interviews include Fidel Castro, Anwar Sadat, Katharine Hepburn, Sean Connery, Monica Lewinsky, Hugo Chávez, Vladimir Putin, and Bashar al-Assad.
Perhaps her most noteworthy accomplishment was creating the talk show “The View” in 1997, which is still on air with ABC today. The all-female hosted program brings together women from different generations, political views and upbringing to dive into cultural and political events of the day.
WSB’s Michelle Wright joins the show to talk specifically about Walters’s signature pull-no-punches style, “scoop” journalism, and impact on women in her profession.
Walters passed away in December of 2022 and The Georgia Politics Podcast is proud to honor her legacy and contributions to political commentary and journalism with this special episode.
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