The Life & Legacy Of 'Rulebreaker' Barbara Walters

Fresh Air

NPR

Tv & Film, Arts, Society & Culture, Books

4.4 • 34.4K Ratings

🗓️ 24 April 2024

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Journalist Susan Page talks about Barbara Walters's groundbreaking career as a newswoman and her signature interview specials, which blended news and entertainment. Page was interested in understanding Walters' inner life – the source of her drive, how she navigated hostile work environments, and being teased for her speech impediment. Page's book is The Rulebreaker.

Also, rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Taylor Swift's 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	NPR Plus is a new way to support public media and get more from your favorite
0:04.4	NPR Podcasts like Fresh Air.
0:06.6	Sometimes I'll actually preface the question with if it makes you too uncomfortable to talk
0:10.8	about if it's too personal just tell me here's the question for behind
0:14.8	the scenes content bonus episodes and more sign up at plus dot npr.org
0:20.7	this is fresh air I'm Tanya Mosley. On October 4th, 1976, Harry Reisner, evening anchor for ABC
0:28.8	News, introduced the nation to the first female network news co-anchor on prime time television.
0:35.0	Barbara Walters.
0:37.0	Closer to home, I have a new colleague to welcome.
0:39.0	Barbara.
0:40.0	Thank you, Harry.
0:42.0	Well, tonight has finally come for me, and I'm very pleased to be with you,
0:45.3	Harry, and with ABC News, and later I'll have a chance to comment on my new duties.
0:49.6	We'll tell you tonight about a Supreme Court action which allows the death penalty to go ahead in at least three states.
0:56.0	We will hear some...
0:57.0	That was Walters in 1976 on her first day as evening anchor for ABC News.
1:03.6	She was only in that role for two years,
1:05.5	but her arrival changed news media as we know it.
1:09.0	Walters was not only the first woman to sit in the chair,
1:12.0	she also became the highest paid anchor, commanding
1:14.7	top dollar and what was an exclusively male-dominated field.
1:18.9	The press dubbed her the million-dollar baby.
	...

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