“Journalism is what we need today to make Democracy work.” So noted Norah O’Donnell, veteran “60 Minutes” reporter and news analyst for CBS. O’ Donnell, along with ABC “Dateline” and “Good Morning America” reporter Deborah Roberts engaged in a conversation about the role of women in the history of our country.
Both agreed on the groundbreaking role of Barbara Walters as the prime mover and instigator of women in broadcast journalism. Walters was the first woman to anchor a national network evening news program, and she played a major role in the development of the TV show “The View.”
O’Donnell was also discussing her latest book, “We the Women–The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America,” which was published to coincide with the USA 250 celebration. One chapter highlighted Phyllis Wheatley, the first African-American woman to be published in the United States.
O’Donnell’s discussion was prescient, as Ida Tarbell was one of the earliest women reporters for the Chautauqua Institution newspaper and went on to write her blockbuster investigative book, “The History of the Standard Oil Company.”
Both O’Donnell and Roberts agreed about the importance of creating smart consumers of journalism, as many people today are getting their news from unreliable social media sources, like Tik-Tok.