Presentations reflection

 


EOTO presentations 2 reflections:

After watching the second round of presentations, I learned even more about inspirational journalists the second time around. What's astonishing to me is the level of achievement these individuals were able to accomplish in difficult times of sexism, racism, uncertainty, and challenging times in their lives. 


Although all the class presentations were inspirational to me, one that particularly stuck out to me was the one about Margaret Bourke-White. She was the only Western photographer to observe the German invasion of Moscow in 1941 and was also the first woman to accompany Air Corps crews on bombing missions in 1942. She impacted journalism through her work in photography, but she also made history in it being the first woman to represent her unique work having witnessed front-line action and taking images while being the first foreign photographer to document the Soviet industry. She witnessed many historical events including World War Two, The Great Depression, and great international events such as Gandhi's fight for independence. As a young woman looking to pursue a career in journalism, I am greatly inspired by Margaret Bourke-White's work through her perseverance, talent, and confidence as she left an everlasting impact on women's history, as well as the journalism and photography fields. 


Another presentation that stood out to me was the one about Barbara Walters. Notoriously known for her eleven years working on the 'Today' show, she is also famous for being the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program. She thrived through her interviewing styles and even premiered on a well-known talk show, "The View". While working for NBC after she was hired in 1961, she encountered sexism and was limited to work only directed toward female viewers. However, she was given the nickname "Today girl" after making impressive breakthroughs including her trip with Jaqueline Kennedy which allowed her to gain further respect. By 1964, her career had taken off after she continued to impact the Today show. What is most frustrating to me is that even though she was working as an official co-host, she was not given the official billing for it until 1974 and was "restricted from asking questions of the show's "serious" guests until the male co-host had finished asking his" according to Biography.com. I admire Barbara Walter's dedication and confidence given she had to work in such a degrading workspace all because she was a woman. I am proud of her and proud of the legacy she left for broadcast journalism and women's history. 

I thoroughly enjoyed these presentations and was so happy to learn about these women who mustered through such difficult times and stressful situations. Their impact on journalism is everlasting. 



Sources: 

https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/margaret-bourke-white?all/all/all/all/0

https://www.biography.com/media-figure/barbara-walters




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