Barbara Walters grew up around famous entertainers. Her father owned nightclubs, and she'd watch dancers and singers practice their acts. That early exposure allowed Walters to refine her own career.
From a young age, she understood what it takes to win over an audience. This served her well in her work as a groundbreaking broadcast journalist.
Over six decades, Walters (1929-2022) advanced from local TV news to global prominence as the go-to interviewer of VIPs. Her pioneering career took off when she was named co-host of "The Today Show" in 1974 — the first female co-host of an American news program.
But that was just the beginning.
Break New Ground Like Barbara Walters
Walters would subsequently become the first female co-anchor of a nightly network news show and then the co-host of "20/20," a popular newsmagazine program on ABC.
She reinvented herself in her late 60s, proposing a new kind of talk show called "The View." It featured a panel of women discussing a range of topics in an unscripted, lively format.
Debuting in 1997, it has run for 28 seasons and continues to attract viewers. Walters appeared on the show until age 84.
Ask Probing Questions
Known for her masterful interviewing skills, Walters thrived in a cutthroat business. She had an uncanny ability to get famous people to reveal more of themselves to viewers.
Her success was largely a reflection of her work ethic and unflinching desire to keep polishing her skills. Her competitive fire led her to scoop rivals and nab the most captivating interview subjects.
"She was so successful because she worked harder than anyone else," said Susan Page, author of "The Rulebreaker," a book about Walters' life. "Her job always came first."
From hanging around her father's nightclubs, Walters grew accustomed to celebrities and their antics. They did not intimidate her.
Her early jobs included stints as a publicist, writer, editor and researcher. This served as a training ground for her future career.
"She understood how all the moving parts worked," said Page, USA Today's Washington bureau chief. "Because she learned how to do others' jobs, that gave her an advantage with her staff."
Walters: Conquer Obstacles To Succeed
Walters faced multiple obstacles early on. For starters, broadcast journalism was a man's world. She had to blaze her own trail.
At 5'5'', Walters spent much of her career around taller men. She didn't back down.
Another obstacle: She wasn't a natural beauty in her youth. Years later, she would describe her childhood appearance as "all angles and bones, like a little dark spider."
Her speech impediment added yet another challenge. But it didn't tame her ambition to appear on TV.
"She worked on her 'Boston accent' that others called a lisp," Page said. Nothing helped, including speech therapy, so she came to accept it.
In 1976, Gilda Radner introduced the Baba Wawa character on "Saturday Night Live." The skit proved a fan favorite and Radner (and other SNL cast members) reprised it dozens of times over the years.
"In public, Barbara laughed off the caricature, but in private she felt exposed and ridiculed over a speech impediment she had tried unsuccessfully to remedy," Page writes in her book.
Yet when Radner died in 1989 at age 42 from ovarian cancer, Walters sent a condolence card to her widower, Gene Wilder. She signed it "Baba Wawa."
"She was a huge letter-writer," Page said. "She'd write notes to express sympathy, congratulate someone or just keep in touch. They were very short, relationship-building letters."
Walters: Conduct A Master Class In Interviewing
As an interviewer, Walters set a new standard of excellence. Whether chatting with American presidents or scandal-ridden celebs, she prepared carefully for each interview.
"When starting an interview, she knew how it would end up," Page said. "She'd go into it with a plan, knowing what order of questions to ask. She always did her research. "
A rapt listener and observer of body language, she didn't follow a script. If an answer surprised her, she pivoted seamlessly and followed up.
She harnessed unpredictability to keep interviewees on their toes. Sometimes, she opened with a tough question — tackling the big issue that everyone wanted to know. Other times, she started with a series of easy questions to establish rapport.
"She liked to ask short, simple questions," Page said. "She didn't ask a three-part question because that gives (interviewees) the opportunity to dodge two of the three questions."
In her 1999 interview with Monica Lewinsky, for example, Walters asked questions such as "What were you thinking?" and "What will you tell your children when you have them?"
She also radiated authenticity. If someone discussed a tragic incident, she would look genuinely sad. If she raised a sensitive issue that she knew would make her guest uncomfortable, she'd preface her question with a sigh, as if to say "I have to ask this."
Be A Role Model Who Never Gives Up
Like many driven leaders, Walters continued to set a high bar even after she became a household name. She never took her career for granted.
"She was always very much of a fighter in the most positive sense," said Victor Neufeld, her longtime executive producer at "20/20." Walters "was content in her role but always kept working hard to do the next interview. She had more energy than anyone I ever worked with."
Just as she pushed herself to excel, she expected the same from her staff. Aspiring broadcast journalists sought to join her team.
"They wanted to work for her and were very loyal to her because to watch her work was a great learning experience," Neufeld said. "But she did not accept laziness or incompetence. If you were a researcher, she'd say, 'I need this, this and this by tonight,' and you knew you had to get it for her."
Set The Example
Walters served as a role model for many newcomers to TV. They marveled at her meticulous preparation and attention to detail.
Better yet, they learned the value of persistence. If Walters was told no for an answer, she wouldn't give up.
"She'd get rebuffed and then continue to pursue the interview," Page said. "She took the long view."
For instance, Mark David Chapman repeatedly declined her interview requests after he murdered John Lennon in 1980. She'd write to him in prison every year.
After 12 years, he finally agreed. In 1992, she went to Attica Correctional Facility in New York to tape his first TV interview.
Stay At Work As Long As You Can
At an age when many dignitaries retire, Walters proposed a new kind of TV talk show that became "The View." It's still going strong and as buzzworthy as ever.
In addition to appearing on camera frequently as part of the panel, Walters was an executive producer on the show. After firing one of the early panelists, Debbie Matenopoulos, Walters changed the narrative about her then-troubled show by unveiling a nationwide search for the next co-host.
"'The View' marked the first time that a TV series introduced a job interview that unfolded in real time," writes Ramin Setoodeh in his book, "Ladies Who Punch." He credits Walters with helping launch the trend of democratizing fame by inviting noncelebrities to become media personalities.
In her early 80s on "The View," she modeled the kind of work ethic that others had to admire. She set a ground rule for the research staff to diligently prepare for every interview.
"Even when we're doing a cooking segment, I read the cookbook," Walters told them.
Barbara Walters' Keys:
- Pioneering broadcast journalist who interviewed hundreds of world leaders and celebrities.
- Overcame: A speech impediment and other obstacles that made her six decades of success even more remarkable.
- Lesson: "Success can make you go one of two ways. It can make you a prima donna — or it can smooth the edges, take away the insecurities, let the nice things come out."
