Shana Alexander is considered one of the greatest female journalists of all time.
Alexander paved the way for many female journalists, pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable of a female reporter and what wasn't. From her award winning columns to her appearances on "60 Minutes", she had an impressive career that still has an impact to this day.
Shana Alexander
Shana Alexander was born on Oct. 8, 1925 in New York City. Alexander came from a family of writers. Her mother, Cecelia Ager, was a well-known reporter. Ager was the first female writer for Variety and was also a movie critic for the NYC newspaper PM. Alexander's father, Milton Ager, was a music composer, writing many famous songs including "Happy Days Are Here Again."
Cecelia Ager
Milton Ager
While Alexander grew up around two of New York City's best writers, she didn't intend on being a writer. Alexander attended Vassar College in New York and graduated in 1945 with a degree in anthropology. At the age of 19, Alexander married her first husband, but quickly divorced.
Her second marriage to Stephen Alexander lasted 12 years before she divorced again. Alexander had one child, a daughter named Katherine, who passed away at the age of 25.
Alexander moved on to work for Life magazine in. the 1960s where she had a column titled "The Feminine Eye." Her column won awards for her, and her popularity began to take off.
In 1962, she wrote an article for Life titled "They Decide Who Lives, Who Dies: Medical miracle puts moral burden on small committee." This sparked national debate in regards to the public health system in the United States, particularly when it comes to the allocation of dialysis treatment
Alexander became the first female editor for McCall's magazine (a women's magazine) but quit due to the sexist environment. Alexander spent a portion of her career advocating for women's rights and women's fair treatment in the workplace. In the 1960s and 1970s, Alexander reported on key issues such as the women's rights movement and the battle over abortion.
A 1960s cover of McCall's Magazine
Alexander also spoke out when it came to political matters, such as Nixon's response to the Vietnam War. This earned her a spot on "60 Minutes" as a replacement for Nicholas Von Hoffman. Alexander was placed with James J. Kilpatrick on a segment of the show called "Point/Counterpoint." It was essentially a debate show, where the two hosts are given the same topic and had an allotted amount of time to discuss their side of the argument. Alexander was the liberal point of view, and Kilpatrick was the conservative side.
Many credit Alexander's performance on the show as the kickstart for getting "60 Minutes" off the ground. Alexander's popularity soared after this. Viewers loved watching "Point/Counterpoint" because the hosts' time to deliver their argument was always organized and uninterrupted.
Chris Wright announces "Point/Counter Point" with Nicholas Von Hoffman and James J. Kilpatrick
Alexander and Kilpatrick's debates were so popular that it was famously parodied on "Saturday Night Live" where Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd played as Alexander and Kilpatrick, where Aykryod delivered the famous line, "Jane, you ignorant slut."
Alexander wrote a few non-fiction novels such as "Anyone's Daughter" and "Nutcracker" which was turned into a television miniseries in 1987.
On June 23, 2005, Shana Alexander died after her battle with cancer.
Alexander is considered a trailblazer for journalism, paving the way for many aspiring female journalists. Her boldness for speaking out against hot button issues earned her a popularity and stardom that no other female reporter had seen. She inspired many, her work encouraging and motivating others to carry on her work after she was gone.
No comments:
Post a Comment