By Sarah K. Bolton | On December 9, 2020 | Updated May 27, 2024 | Comments (0)
Margaret Fuller (born Sarah Margaret Fuller; later Margaret Fuller Ossoli; 1810 – 1850) was a well-known figure in her lifetime as a women’s rights advocate, abolitionist, editor, and journalist. For a time, she was considered the best-read person in New England and became the first woman to gain access to Harvard’s library.
In 1844, Margaret joined the New York Herald Tribune as America’s first full-time book reviewer. In 1846, she became the Tribune’s first woman editor and first female foreign correspondent.
After spending four tumultuous and productive years in Europe, Fuller died tragically in a ship accident upon returning to America, leaving a legacy that was controversial as it was unique. Read More→
By Norma Brickner | On July 22, 2020 | Updated July 23, 2020 | Comments (0)
Katharine Graham (June 16, 1917 – July 17, 2001) is best remembered for her role as publisher and CEO of The Washington Post. She oversaw the newspaper’s involvement in the Pentagon Papers controversy and its investigation of the Watergate scandal that led to President Nixon’s resignation in late 1974.
Born in New York City, Katharine Meyer was one of five children raised in a family of great wealth. Her father, Eugene Meyer, was a multimillionaire and businessman who was Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve from 1930 – 1933. Her mother, Agnes Ernst Meyer, was a politically active educator. Read More→
By Taylor Jasmine | On May 9, 2020 | Updated July 15, 2025 | Comments (0)
Ida B. Wells (July 16, 1862 – March 25, 1931), also known as Ida B. Wells-Barnett, was a fearless journalist and crusader in the early civil rights movement. A feminist, editor, sociologist, she was one of the founders of the NAACP.
She was best known for spearheading a national antilynching campaign, through which she worked tirelessly to end the uniquely American practice of the public mob murders of Black Americans. Wells’s reputation continues to grow, even decades after her death.
Journalism awards have been established in her name, scholarships are endowed in her honor, and there’s a museum celebrating her legacy in her hometown in Mississippi. Read More→
By Nava Atlas | On April 26, 2020 | Updated February 7, 2026 | Comments (0)
Let’s pay tribute to a trailblazing group of mid-twentieth-century Black women journalists — Alice Dunnigan, Ethel Payne, Daisy Bates, Evelyn Cunningham, and Marvel Jackson Cooke.
Their work encompassed all facets of this era’s journalism, including reporting, editing, broadcasting, and publishing.
All of these women’s careers began at legendary Black newspapers, including the Chicago Defender, the Arkansas State Press, the Pittsburgh Courier, and The Crisis. Read More→
By Nava Atlas | On April 15, 2020 | Updated November 7, 2024 | Comments (0)
When you think of undercover reporting, what comes to mind? I have to admit that the image that came to my mind was some guy in a trench coat, wearing a fedora. That is, until I learned about the group of late nineteenth and early twentieth century reporters referred to as “stunt girls.”
These intrepid young women, following in the footsteps of Nellie Bly, pioneered the practice of underground investigative reporting in journalism.
Good journalism has always been about presenting the human story behind events large and small. It’s also about holding the powerful accountable for their actions, a cornerstone of democracy (at least in theory). Women have always had the desire, talent, and ability to participate in these endeavors. Read More→
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