EOTO 2: What I Learned: Girl Reporters

There's no doubt that female journalists have come a long way since the beginning.

Women have made tremendous progress with making their mark in the world of journalism. Now, some of the most famous and respected journalists are women.

Christiane Amanpour 

A British-Iranian journalist who is one of the most influential female reporters

Female journalists are much more respected now than they were in the 1800s, but even during that time, that didn't stop women journalists from doing their civic duty and reporting the truth. 

If it weren't for the female journalists of history, female reporters wouldn't be nearly as advanced as they are today.

Many female journalists in the 1880s and 1990s were undercover. Many publications weren't hiring women, or they were severely looked down upon. There were dozens of female reporters who were striving to make their mark in the media world, and there are a few that were most influential. 

Nellie Bly was a young female journalist in the 1880s who dedicated her career to reporting. Nellie Bly was a pen name that she used instead of her real name, Elizabeth Cochran. Bly reported on numerous topics such as working conditions of girls, corruption and poverty in Mexico. 

At the peak of Bly's career, she went undercover and was committed to Blackwell's Island, a mental asylum in New York. Bly's investigation was focused on exposing the mistreatment of mentally ill patients. She wrote and published Ten Days in a Mad-House, which earned national attention and earned credibility for herself.

Nellie Bly

Eva McDonald Valesh worked for the "St. Paul Daily Globe" at only 21-years-old. Although she was young, she was fierce and committed to her work. McDonald focused her reporting on women's working conditions in Minneapolis. McDonald was a determined labor journalist who worked under the name "Eva Gay." 

McDonald also worked undercover, disguising herself as a worker at flour mills and garment factories. McDonald published her first article "Among Girls Who Toil" in 1888. She reported on the poor working conditions, describing the crowded workshops, little ventilation, dangerous chemicals and sexual harassment from male co-workers and bosses. McDonald's work led to labor strikes from mistreated women, and the poor working conditions were improved.

Eva McDonald Valesh

The motivation of female reporters has played a huge role in changes being made in corrupt societies. Their work ethic and passion undoubtedly paved the way for today's as well as future female journalists who strive to do the same. Journalism is much better and impactful with women in the picture, and these girl reporters are the foundation. 

American journalist Lucy Morgan in 1985