Famed American broadcaster and journalist Barbara Walters passed away in the United States at the age of 93, ending a landmark career with ABC News. Walters became a defining voice in American television, earning widespread respect as the network’s first female evening news anchor and later shaping political and cultural dialogue through candid interviews and groundbreaking formats.
Joining ABC in the mid-1970s, Walters built a remarkable record of achievement that included elevating women in broadcast journalism and collecting a long list of industry honors. She earned eleven Emmy Awards and helped launch The View, a daytime talk show that blended news, politics, and pop culture with a panel of diverse perspectives. Walters became widely known for her ability to secure high-profile conversations with influential figures, a hallmark of her career.
Over the course of her time on television, Walters conducted interviews with eight U.S. presidents and numerous other national and international leaders. She engaged with Richard Nixon and Barack Obama, among others, and she spoke with Donald Trump ahead of his presidential bid. She also conducted a notable interview with Monica Lewinsky following the Clinton scandal, contributing to broader national conversations about public life and accountability.
Walters’ reporting and interview style opened doors to global political discourse. She met with key political figures from around the world, including the former leaders of Russia, with her work marking her as the first American journalist to interview Vladimir Putin in a notable broadcast moment. Her career left a lasting imprint on how political access and televised conversation are conducted in the United States and beyond.
Her contributions were recognized in popular culture and media history: Walters was honored with a wax likeness at Madame Tussauds in New York in 2001 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007. After more than two decades in front of the camera, she was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame, celebrating enduring influence on the industry. Walters’ career—not just the milestones but the everyday moments of trust with viewers—helped redefine what it means to report the news and to host conversations that matter.
Earlier reports noted the passing of Vladimir Luskanov, the head of the information service for the Russian channel Russia-Culture, who died at 67, adding to the day’s reflections on media leadership and legacy across borders. (Attribution: ABC News; Madame Tussauds; Hollywood Walk of Fame; Television Academy.)