Barbara Walters, a First Among TV-Newswomen is Dead at 93

She became the most prominent female journalist in television history and also the highest-paid news anchor male or female. Her arrival marked a cultural shift. News anchors were no longer seen as authoritative authority figures in the Walter Cronkite mold and began to be seen more as celebrities. Her hiring was dismissed by a disgruntled Mr. Reasoner as a gimmick.

The ABC experiment was a gimmick, or not? The co-anchors had no chemistry, ratings were low and Mr. Reasoner moved to CBS in 1978. Ms. Walters became a contributor and co-anchor when the network introduced a multi-anchor format for all men. She began reporting to ABC’s newsmagazine “20/20” shortly thereafter. In 1984, she was named permanent co-host of the show alongside Hugh Downs (her old colleague from “Today”.

Her “Barbara Walters Specials”, more than any other, made her a star

She is a tireless chronicler of the famous, the powerful, and the wealthy. Walters became almost as famous for her specials in 1976 as the people she interviewed.

Ms. Walters managed to get presidents, kings, and matinee idols to respond to her questions, at a time when politicians were often reserved and celebrities were elusive. Shortly after Jimmy Carter won the 1976 presidential election, she asked him if his wife and he slept in separate bedrooms. They didn’t. She inquired of Prime Minister Morarji Desai, India, if he had ever drunk his urine for medicinal purposes. (It was.)

Ms. Walters was a famous journalist who loved the role of a celebrity journalist. She rode a motorcycle with Sylvester Stallone and danced the mambo along with Patrick Swayze. She also rode a patrol boat alongside Fidel Castro through the Bay of Pigs. In an interview reaching over 50 million viewers, she asked Monica Lewinsky, a former White House intern, why she kept the stained-blue dress that was part of the Clinton sex scandal.

Ms. Walters was a high-ranking member of society who developed friendships with high-ranking officials throughout her career. The Shah of Iran was a friend, as was Roy Cohn (Brooke Astor). She was the only female television reporter to accompany President Richard M. Nixon on his 1972 trip to China. Ms. Walters loaned Raquel a black dress when the former Israeli foreign minister Moshe Dayan passed away in 1981.

She was driven by her competitive spirit and ambition. Her competitive spirit and ambition never wavered. (With Donald Trump, Ms. Walters might be tough challenging his business acumen in 1990 and gushing about his family in one segment of “20/20.”

Ms. Walters created “The View” with Bill Geddie. She served as executive producer and frequently appeared on camera as part of the all-female panel that included Whoopi Goldberg, Meredith Vieira, and many other women. The show, now in its 24th year, can be seen in many countries and has been copied.