Barbara Walters, journalist and television legend, dies at 93

Barbara Walters, journalist, television legend and pioneering host, has died at the age of 93.

In a statement posted on social media, Robert Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, said Walters died Friday at her New York home.

« She was a one-of-a-kind journalist who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state and regime leaders to the biggest celebrities and sports icons, » Iger’s statement read. .

“Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by her loved ones. She lived her life with no regrets. She was a pioneer not just for women journalists, but for all women,” publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement. at the Associated Press.

Walters made headlines in 1976 as the first female network news anchor.

She is survived by her only daughter, Jacqueline Danforth.

Walters started View in 1997 on ABC with an all-female panel – a show that continues to this day.

She taped her final episode in May 2014, which ended a five-decade career in television. However, she continued to make television appearances.

Although Walters is remembered for paving the way for female journalists and broadcasters, it was not an easy road for her.

She was first hired in 1961 by NBC for a short-term writing project on the Today Pin up. Soon after, she had a few TV opportunities with offbeat, offbeat storylines, but it was her knack for getting early interviews with personalities that really put her on the map.

She had the first interview with Rose Kennedy after the assassination of her son, Robert, with Princess Grace of Monaco, President Richard Nixon and many others.

It wasn’t until ABC News won a new president, Roone Arledge, that Walters transitioned from co-anchor to special projects for the network.

She then became a frequent contributor to the news magazine, 20/20 and became co-host of the popular show in 1984.

-With files from the Associated Press

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