International Women’s month gives us the opportunity to celebrate women who impact our lives both personally and professionally. From trailblazing women who fought against all odds to the inspirational and brave young women from Parkland, to our own mothers, sisters, and daughters. This list continues to grow.
In our PR world, we are privileged to work with incredibly talented female journalists on a regular basis. So it only seems fitting to pay tribute to a few of my favorite “game changing” women in journalism. Whether they busted through the proverbial glass ceiling or uncovered a story that changed the way we think, these feisty females deserve a shout out for their bold moves.
Barbara Walters
From the Today Show to 20/20 to The View, like her or loathe her, this lady deserves kudos for being the first woman anchor on a national news program.
Katharine Graham
If you’ve seen “The Post” then you know why she made my list. Going up against the White House in the early 70’s was a bold move. Her decision to publish the Pentagon Papers changed the course of history.
Gloria Steinem
The original women’s lib-er… an internationally renowned social activist and writer, co-founder of Ms. Magazine and still going strong. She gave us gals a voice. Period.
Gwen Ifill
The first African American woman to host a national public affairs program, Ifill overcame racial bigotry and naysayers who said she wasn’t capable enough to report on Capitol Hill to becoming one of the most trusted journalists covering American politics. Her calm, cool demeanor as moderator of vice-presidential debates made you wonder why she wasn’t running for office!
Arianna Huffington
This lady spearheaded internet news and is one of the most influential women in media today. Why? Because unlike me, the majority of the population read their news online. Let’s face it, some of the stories are more fluff than substance, but you can’t ignore the upwards of 200 million visitors a month to the Huffington Post site.
Helen Thomas
I love that a former press secretary described this former White House reporter’s questioning during press briefs as “torture.” She covered nine presidents over the course of her career. No one from the White House, including presidents, intimidated her. How I wish she were still around to grill the current administration!
Sacha Pfeiffer
This woman is one of my heroes. An exceptional journalist, she was a member of The Boston Globe’s spotlight team that exposed the unforgivable cover-up of sexual abuse by the Catholic Church. Her passion to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth gave survivors hope that they were finally being heard.
Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor
Ronan Farrow is getting a ton of credit for breaking the Harvey Weinstein story in the New Yorker. But let’s give credit where credit is due! These two tenacious New York Times journalists were the first to report on Weinstein and spark a movement that’s rocked the world!