Older New Yorkers remember Barbara Walters for famous programs that ran on TV in the 20th century, such as Today, ABC, Evening News, 20/20 and The View. Her activities, TV programs and the way she conducted interviews have touched the hearts of many people around the world. Barbara had an incredible career path. During these years of work, she earned an incredibly brilliant reputation as one of the most successful TV presenters of the 20th century. The life story and career path of Barbara Walters are incredibly fascinating and worth learning. Read more on newyorka.
Early years and development in journalism
The future New York TV presenter was born in Massachusetts in 1929. She grew up in a decent family so many opportunities were opened to her from a young age. Thus, her father made a fortune in show business. He owned nightclubs and was involved in directing and producing. Sometimes, he took the daughter to work with him at a nightclub where rehearsals of various shows were held. This is how young Walters got acquainted with the scene.
Walters’ parents had a difficult relationship. The family often moved due to this reason. When the girl was 5 years old, her parents divorced. This event greatly affected her choice of future profession.
Walters studied at the prestigious Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York. In 1951, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Sarah Lawrence College. Her academic background in English literature has served her well in her career as a journalist and interviewer.
The start of a career
The beginning of Walters’ career as a TV journalist was incredibly turbulent. It started with a small and simple New York advertising agency. Soon she began to work at the NBC station, where she was engaged in writing press releases and hosted a short children’s program Ask the Camera.
The tumultuous start of Walters’ career was because her partner on the Ask the Camera project, TV presenter Igor Cassini, proposed to Walters to marry him. He was aggressive towards other young men who tried to court her. It even came to fights. Because of this incident, Walters had to change her place of work.
TV presenter
Walters was quite successful and talented so many employers were interested in her. She got an invitation to the famous The Today Show of the New York NBC channel. Walters worked as a journalist there. She was engaged in researching various spheres of life in New York and the USA. Walters’ career began to take off. Therefore, she soon became a reporter for NBC, where she created, wrote and edited her own reports and interviews. In the early 1970s, Walters had her own show on the channel called Not for Women Only.
The real breakthrough in her career as a TV presenter happened when she signed a contract with ABC for more than $5 million. Between 1976 and 1978, she became one of the presenters of the ABC evening news as well as the highest-paid female and male TV presenter in America. Such success once again emphasized her unsurpassed talent.
Walters’ work at ABC is a whole series of high-profile interviews that have strengthened her reputation as one of the best interviewers. She took comments from various world leaders, celebrities and controversial personalities. She didn’t just ask questions from a list. Instead, she delved into the personal lives and emotions of her heroes. She had an incredible ability to liberate and attract people, who became sincere in her presence and talked about their personal difficulties and victories easily. Her interviews often became sensational. Thanks to this, she earned a brilliant reputation as a journalist.
Barbara Walters Specials became the hallmark of her career. These were detailed interviews with famous world personalities, not all of whom were unambiguous. Her ability to tackle sensitive and often taboo subjects has earned her critical acclaim and high ratings. Some of the most notable interviews included discussions with Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein and Vladimir Putin.
Walters became not just one of the most outstanding journalists in New York and the USA, she became an example and inspiration for many women. Looking at her achievements, they believed that they too would be able to reach the desired goals. Barbara’s role was very significant, as women in the United States were subjected to gender and career discrimination.
Retirement and death
Walters had an incredibly busy life and career. She managed to see and communicate with many interesting and famous personalities and to reveal many important and even sensational issues. Barbara loved her work very much and devoted her whole life to journalism and interviewing. She retired in 2014, at the age of 85.
Behind the beauty, talent and success Walters was hiding an illness, which was her secret. She suffered from aortic stenosis. In 2010, she underwent heart surgery to replace the heart valve. In the last years of her life, Walters also suffered from dementia. She passed away in 2022. Her last words were: ‘No regrets – I had a great life’. They were later engraved on her tombstone.