Iconic TV Anchor Barbara Walters Dies at 93 | "She Cared About The Truth And She Made Us Care Too"

Trailblazing American TV anchor Barbara Walters passed away at the age of 93, confirmed her publicist. "Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones," her publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement, reported BBC News. "She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists but for all women." Walters was one of the first women TV anchors and she paved way for many others to follow in her footsteps. High-profile and cutting-edge interviews were the hallmark of Barbara Walters. She interviewed many US Presidents and First Ladies during her iconic career spanning 52 years. She called it quits in 2014 with her final appearance on her daytime show, The View.

Some of the other high-profile interviews included Margaret Thatcher, Muammar Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro among others, reported The Guardian. Her death was announced by ABC News. "Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones," her publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement on Friday night. "She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists but for all women."

She started out with NBC's The TODAY show in the 1960s as a writer before moving to the front of the camera. She spent a major chunk of her career with ABC News, earning 11 of her 12 Emmy awards at the Television network. She became the first woman anchor to command an unprecedented $1m annual salary in 1976. Barbara Walters said she never expected to move into the front of the camera, having worked behind it for the first part of her career but she turned out to be a natural. “I never expected this!” said Walters in 2004. “I always thought I’d be a writer for television. I never even thought I’d be in front of a camera.” She was never shaken despite sitting opposite people who wielded massive power. “I’m not afraid when I’m interviewing, I have no fear.” She told Associated Press in 2008.

 She called curtains on her illustrious career in 2014 on her daytime show, The View. Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey were some of the high-profile names who made an appearance to say goodbye to the icon. "I can't believe this day has come, and I can't believe it's for real," Clinton told Walters at the time. Countless women journalists appeared on the show to pay tribute to Barbara Walters.

Tributes poured in for the news anchor after the announcement of her death. NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar praised her courage and contribution to journalism. “She held them accountable,” he wrote on Twitter. “She cared about the truth and she made us care too. Fortunately, she inspired many other journalists to be just as unrelenting," reported New York Times. Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman in live-action television series hailed Walters. “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,” Ms. Carter said on Twitter. “Her impact cannot be overstated. I’ll miss you, Barbara. Thank you for everything,” she wrote.

References:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64131414
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/dec/31/barbara-walters-dies-pioneering-us-tv-news-anchor-abc-nbc
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/30/business/media/barbara-walters-reaction-tributes.html

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Neilson Barnard