In light of the Journalism major being new to LMU, it is important to realize how influential women have been in journalism. The below women are some of the most influential voices and have paved the way for a new age of journalists- maybe even some of you reading this.
1. Joan Didion:
Joan is a former Vogue editor, author of both novels, nonfiction, screenplays, and even a play but most of all she is one of the biggest icons in journalism. Her writing has influenced a generation of women to pursue journalism and continues to do so even today. The Netflix documentary titled “Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold” is an ode to Joan’s work and life and definitely worth a watch.
2. Christiane Amanpour
Christiane is an American-Iranian journalist well known for her roles as a reporter at CNN and ABC News. She has won many prestigious awards in journalism including the Walter Cronkite award for excellence in journalism, an award won mostly by men. Christiane will take over for Charlie Rose’s PBS show, in light of his sexual assault allegations, with her own show titled, “Amanpour & Company”.
3. Gwen Ifill
Gwen Ifill was an journalist well regarded for her political reporting in Washington D.C. for various publications and outlets but most notably: The New York Times, NBC, and PBS. Regarded not only as a stand out voice for women of color in journalism, Gwen is also well known for her calm and reasonable demeanor amidst the frenzy of political reporting. After passing away in 2016 from breast cancer, Gwen is still beloved and continues to inspire.