Media personalities and journalists are paying tribute to legendary TV journalist Barbara Walters following her death at the age of 93 on Friday.
Walters, a trailblazer whose career lasted over 50 years, was the first woman to co-host a national TV network’s evening news program ― “ABC Evening News,” in 1976.
She had an impact on a number of the other programs during the course of her career ― co-founding “The View” in 1997, spending a quarter of a century as co-host on ABC News’ “20/20” and first rising to prominence at NBC’s “Today” show.
Walters’ list of interviewees includes every U.S. president since Richard Nixon, as well as Michael Jackson and former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. She also interviewed Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1977.
TV icon Oprah Winfrey wrote in an Instagram post on Friday that without Walters there wouldn’t be any women in evening, morning or daily news ― including herself.
“She was indeed a Trailblazer. I did my very first television audition with her in mind the whole time,” Winfrey wrote. “Grateful that she was such a powerful and gracious role model. Grateful to have known her. Grateful to have followed in her Light.”
“Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts also described Walters as a “trailblazer.”
“Forever grateful for her stellar example and for her friendship. Sending condolences to her daughter and family,” Roberts wrote on Twitter.
Dan Rather, who anchored “CBS Evening News” for 24 years, described Walters as a “true pro” and referred to her death as a loss of “a pillar of professionalism, courage, and integrity.”
“She outworked, out-thought, and out-hustled her competitors,” Rather wrote. “She left the world the better for it. She will be deeply missed. RIP.”
Katie Couric, a former co-host of NBC’s “Today” show, referred to Walters as the “OG of female broadcasters” in a tribute post on Instagram.
“She was just as comfortable interviewing world leaders as she was Oscar winners and she had to fight like hell for every interview,” Couric wrote.
“I deeply admired her and she was incredibly supportive through the years,” she continued. “As I wrote in my book, she liked to say we were similar in that neither of us was particularly glamorous. I never quite knew how to take that, although being in Barbara’s mold was nothing but a compliment.” (As of Saturday afternoon, Couric appeared to have changed the wording of her caption somewhat.)
Several other media personalities paid tribute to Walters and reflected on their shared moments with her: