By Owen Devlin
I deeply admire Barbara Walters. She was a force. A legendary household name. A trailblazer who paved the way for female journalists who continue to follow in her footsteps. Women that have aspirations of being the face of a newscast – both on the national and local level.
She fearlessly tested – and helped combat – the stereotypes and sexism surrounding women in 1964, when she became the first female co-anchor of “Today” on NBC. She forever changed the landscape of what was once a male-dominated industry. She proved that women could make meaningful contributions and be successful in broadcast journalism.
I recently watched ABC News’ “Our Barbara” and a new documentary about Walters’ life, which is called “Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything.” I felt that the title was fitting, because the film explored Walters’ private hardships and the deeper level of hostility she faced in pursuing her career endeavors.
Throughout the film and special, viewers hear Walters’ voice helping to tell her own story through archival footage and memorable interviews with big gets, such as Donald Trump, Chris Christie, Barak and Michelle Obama, Fidel Castro, the Menendez brothers, Michael Jackson, Monica Lewinsky, Muhammed Ali, Mike Tyson, Richard Nixon, Taylor Swift, Ellen DeGeneres, Clint Eastwood, the Kardashian family, Martha Stewart and others.
There are many thought-provoking takeaways from the film and special.
Walters initially started out as a writer for “Today,” and she was the only female writer on their staff. The network allowed Walters to do some on-air reporting – at the encouragement of Hugh Downs – for the program. But Walters was restricted to feature and lighthearted stories – stories that fit the mold – in the network’s mind – of topics that women would find captivating and took less precedence, including fashion.
Walters was later promoted to work alongside Downs. But it’s crucial to note, and as I learned from the “Our Barbara” special, she wasn’t given the title of co-anchor because she wasn’t considered worthy enough for it at this time. Downs left his position in 1971, and the working dynamic shifted when Frank McGee took over.
McGee made a deal with NBC that Walters couldn’t speak until he spoke. He’d begin an interview with three questions, and Walters was only permitted to ask one follow-up. Her response and ultimate workaround? She booked and conducted interviews outside the studio with the intent to gain credibility, respect and, most importantly, prove to male colleagues that she was just as valuable. After McGee’s passing, Walters was given the long-overdue and respective co-host title.
She continued to shatter the glass ceiling after being named co-anchor of “ABC Evening News” with Harry Reasoner in 1976. According to Walters, Reasoner wanted to be the sole anchor of the newscast and didn’t like being paired with a co-anchor – especially a woman. She said Reasoner “was insulted” and “felt he was being degraded” because television news was a man’s industry at the time. But she forged ahead.
She later contributed reports to “20/20,” and she was the face and creator of her own interview series, “The Barbara Walters Specials.” She’s the epitome of inspiring. She didn’t let utter discrimination and disrespect stop her from building a remarkable career.
Viewers see additional archival footage highlighting Walters’ involvement with “The View,” which she created in 1997 and co-hosted until 2014. I learned that Walters’ creation of “The View” was transformative at the time of its inception, because the concept of a talk show hadn’t been explored or replicated. A new idea that hadn’t been brought to the table – until Walters made it a reality. And it prevailed.
“The View” airs daily and nationwide on ABC and is currently in season 29. Hosts discuss a wide range of controversial political topics, entertainment tidbits and share relatable anecdotes about their lives.
Walters’ probing, distinctive and hard-hitting interview questions are unforgettable. These questions differentiated her interview strategy from any other. She could articulate them in a way that struck a nerve. Questions that elicited genuine emotion from interviewees – at a time when they couldn’t have predicted it was coming. And Walters’ interviewing style remains unmatched to this day.
In 2003, Walters was the first journalist to land an interview with Martha Stewart after her indictment surrounding a stock trading scandal. And Walters posed a burning question: “Martha, why do so many people hate you?” Walters aimed to address the public interpretation around Stewart’s personality.
Some held a strong dislike for Stewart due to the scandal and the way she portrayed herself on television, such as the 2002 “The Early Show” clip, where she refers to the scandal as “ridiculousness” following questions and appears focused on vigorously chopping a cabbage for her salad.
Interestingly, viewers hear the aggressive chopping sound at the beginning of the video – when the backstory of the scandal is being explained. It’s like an unintentional focal point of the clip. And Walters doesn’t hesitate to ask about it.
During Walters’ 1985 interview with Barbara Streisand, she asked Streisand about why she didn’t get plastic surgery on her nose. In Walters’ 2011 interview with the Kardashian family, she boldly stated that they weren’t talented. In Walters’ 2012 interview with Chris Christie, she inquired about his weight. In Walters’ 2014 interview with Taylor Swift, she questioned how Swift will find a romantic partner due to her songs about the ups and downs of relationships.
It’s no secret that these types of questions haven’t aged well, but some of Walters’ questions centered around the public, including the aforementioned ones. Things people thought and were inquisitive about, but wouldn’t be comfortable asking because they’d be perceived as inappropriate or insensitive. But Walters wasn’t afraid to go for it, anyway.
I learned about Walters’ grit from the very beginning, as she assumed a caregiver role for her mother and sister following the passing of her father, Lou Walters. She was the breadwinner for her mother and sister, and viewers hear in Walters’ own voice that her sister was born with a developmental delay, which wasn’t fully understood at the time.
Walters had one daughter, Jackie, but it was a strained relationship, and Walters struggled to balance motherhood with her career. Walters recounted a story in which her daughter ran away from home, which was powerful to hear. I could sense the emotion in her voice. But Walters loved her daughter very much and named her after her sister.
The film features commentary from other journalists, including Katie Couric, Oprah Winfrey, Cynthia McFadden and Connie Chung to further paint a portrait of who Walters was as a person.
Winfrey made an unexpected and intriguing revelation, saying that Walters influenced her decision not to have children, because she knew she couldn’t balance a career and motherhood simultaneously. And the most surprising fact I learned was that Walters dealt with insecurities when working with Diane Sawyer.
I recognized Walters as a poised on-air journalist, and she was, but the documentary and special humanized her more by illustrating that she, too, had insecurities and that her home life wasn’t perfect.
She’d ask herself what she would’ve done differently after wrapping an interview. It made Walters more relatable to the everyday person, and it’s a testament to the fact that everyone – even nationally known people – experience situations that people know nothing about.
There will never be another Barbara Walters. She was one-of-a-kind. The go-to journalist with the major interviews – at a time when television was the primary source for news.
Winfrey insightfully said it best. “There really is no place for a ‘Barbara Walters Interview’ now.” Winfrey’s statement resonated with me, because she acknowledged the sad reality about traditional journalism and eluded to why Walters will never be forgotten.
Smartphones and the evolution of social media are taking over. By the time an interview has made its way to television, it’s already been done. But it’s why Walters’ mark is deeply instrumental.
“Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything” was poignant, eye-opening and showcased intimate moments of Walters’ life. “Our Barbara” beautifully portrayed Walters’ passion for journalism, career milestones, humor and warmth. Don’t miss out on a chance to watch Walters’ incredible legacy.
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