Media personalities and journalists are paying tribute to legendary TV journalist Barbara Walters following her death at the age of 93 on Friday.
Walters, whose career lasted over 50 years, leaves behind a legacy as a trailblazer as she became the first woman to co-host a national TV network’s evening news program – “ABC Evening News” – in 1976.
Walters also impacted a number of the other programs during the course of her career, as well, such as co-founding “The View” in 1997, spending a quarter of a century as co-host on ABC News’ “20/20″ and her time at NBC’s “Today” show.
Walters’ list of interviews includes every U.S. president since Richard Nixon, Michael Jackson, former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro as well as an interview with 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 woman in evening, morning and 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 echoed Winfrey’s classification of 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. She left the world the better for it. She will be deeply missed. RIP,” Rather wrote.
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. … 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. Thank you for everything, Barbara.”
Several other media personalities paid tribute to Walters and reflected on their shared moments with her.
You can read their reactions to Walters’ death below.
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