Who was Barbara Walters? Legendary news anchor dies aged 93

American television journalist Barbara Walters has died aged 93 according to a statement by her spokesperson. 

The statement, given to CNN, read, “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”.

The first-ever evening news programme female anchor, Walters joined ABC News in 1976. She was also the co-host of the show 20/20.

Who was Barbara Walters?

Barbara Walters was born on September 25, 1929 in Boston. She was the daughter of Dena and Lou Walters. Her father was the founder of New York’s Latin Quarter nightclub.

Walters attended Lawrence School and later Ethical Culture Fieldston School when she shifted to New York with her family. She completed her undergraduate course in English from  Sarah Lawrence College. 

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Fresh out of college, Walters began working in a small advertising agency before shifting to WNBT-TV, an NBC network affiliate. She began producing TV programs while at WNBT-TV before moving on to CBS where she joined The Morning Show as a writer.

From 1976 to 1978, Walters teamed up with Harry Reasoner for ABC Evening News. 

The iconic journalist is the most famous for her interviews with many world leaders, including the Shah of Iran, Boris Yeltsin, and Vladimir Putin.

During more than three decades at ABC, and before that at NBC, Walters’ exclusive interviews with the famous and powerful brought her celebrity status that ranked with theirs.

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Her drive was legendary as she competed for each big “get” in a world jammed with more and more rivals, including female journalists who had followed on the trail that she blazed.

As a highly successful side venture, she created and appeared on a daytime ABC talk show, “The View.” In May 2014, she taped her final appearance on “The View” to mark the end of her career on television, but she hosted occasional specials after that.