Fans, admirers and former colleagues honored broadcast legend Barbara Walters, who died Friday at age 93, hailing her talent and skill as a journalist and the barriers she blew open for women in media over her decades in the business.
“Barbara Walters never flinched when questioning the world’s most powerful people. She held them accountable. She cared about the truth and she made us care too. Fortunately, she inspired many other journalists to be just as unrelenting. We are all better off because of her,” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote.
Moments after the news broke, Oprah Winfrey posted a touching tribute on Instagram. “Without Barbara Walters there wouldn’t have been me—nor any other woman you see on evening, morning, and daily news,” she captioned a photo of them together. “She was indeed a Trailblazer. I did my very first television audition with her in mind the whole time.”
“Grateful that she was such a powerful and gracious role model. Grateful to have known her. Grateful to have followed in her Light,” Oprah continued.
“Barbara was a true legend, a pioneer not just for women in journalism but journalism itself. She was a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state and leaders of regimes to the biggest celebrities and sports icons,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said.
“I had the pleasure of calling Barbara a colleague for more than three decades, but more importantly I was able to call her a dear friend. She will be missed by all of us at the Walt Disney Company,” Iger continued.
Katie Couric called Walters “the OG of female broadcasters.”
“She was just as comfortable interviewing world leaders as she was Oscar winners and her body of work is unparalleled. I was a lucky recipient of her kindness and encouragement,” the journalist wrote.
“#BarbaraWalters was a trailblazer. She was a mentor to me as well as a friend. So many women broke into the news business because she did her job well,” Maria Shriver said. “She worked so hard & helped a lot of younger women such as myself. Thank you, Barbara, for everything. You paved the way for all of us. You truly did. #RIP.”
“Barbara Walters was an American institution. As the first female national news anchor, she opened the door to endless possibilities for so many girls who wanted to work in TV, myself included. Her impact cannot be overstated. I’ll miss you, Barbara. Thank you for everything,” actress Lynda Carter wrote.
Read on for a sampling of other tributes.