message about Death of Barbara Walters Friday, at 93, resonates with me for several different reasons.
In fact, her departure marks the ultimate chapter of one of the crucial distinguished – and sometimes controversial – careers in television journalism.
While my relationship along with her was skilled, not personal as along with her colleague Regis Philbin, who passed away in 2020, Walters treated me from our first encounters with respect and, yes, unexpected humor and decency from someone who doesn’t you could have to do it. But that was the person she was.
Balancing with Barbara was difficult as we covered her after which 20/20 and The View – which she co-wrote and co-hosted since 1997 – with an often critical eye on what she said on air, from politics to entertainment to on a regular basis affairs .
She was a public lightning rod, commanding much (in my view) respect, if even distaste, which she earned by paving the best way for female journalists in a predominantly male field, starting with NBC’s “Today” in 1962 and making headlines. interviews with almost every news anchor – “gets in”, to make use of industry terms.
Others, nevertheless, throw a critical (and sometimes mocking) take a look at her, not only The classic character of Gilda Radner from “Baby Wawa”. in those early days of “Saturday Night Live”, but in relation to her interview style, sometimes hitting hard and sometimes just scratching the pinnacle, especially with celebrities.
An example is her 1981 interview with Katharine Hepburn, by which Barbara asked one among the best, outstanding actresses in history, in all seriousness, “Should you were a tree, what form of tree would you be?” Barbara later told it in a different way, throwing the burden on Hepburn, saying she just asked a logical follow-up query. Discuss amongst yourselves.
The other side of the coin is that in case you were amongst those that covered Barbara’s profession – and I suppose lots of my fellow journalists would agree – she treated you with an expert decency that was limited to friendship.
Once I called her about one among our many interviews, she all the time referred to me as “Sir. Starr” (not Michael; Walter Cronkite did the identical. Pure old style). And let me inform you a secret chances are you’ll not concentrate on: Barbara sent warm, handwritten thank-you cards and Christmas cards that originally surprised me a lot that I kept a handful of them.
This one is dated March 13, 2001.
Dear Michael,
Thanks again for the article in The View. It is usually a pleasure to confer with you because while you quote me, you quote me exactly, and that may be very rare. I’m grateful, as is everyone at The View.
With my warmest wishes,
Barbara
And that is from a Christmas card. (I’m unsure of the 12 months, but Barbara poses on the quilt along with her beloved Havanese, Cha-Cha, in what appears to be her apartment.)
Dear Michael,
Thanks to your attention and concern (including last week’s column) and throughout the 12 months.
Warmest wishes,
Barbara
She didn’t should, especially since we frequently don’t give a penny at The Post, reporting on things like what she said on The View and when she clashed on-air (and backstage) along with her co-hosts.
The headlines might be merciless, including the time “Babbling Barbara” swore on the air that Cha-Cha had spoken to her and told her he loved her. To her credit, the day after this story was published, if I remember appropriately, she made a joke about it in The View. Or possibly that is just how I remember it.
When Barbara left The View in 2014, essentially ending her long profession, she was kind enough to provide me a form of away interview where she talked about her decision to retire, amongst other things, after which jumped on the phone a 12 months later speak about what turned out to be one among her last, if not her last prime time specials.
Say what you’ll about Barbara Walters – and after all there was a variety of speak about her and will likely be written about her for years to come back – but she’s all the time been top notch to me.