Veteran National Public Radio journalist Susan Stamberg, the first woman in the U.S. to anchor a nightly national news program with “All Things Considered,” has died at age 87, NPR reported Thursday.
Josh Stamberg confirmed his mother’s passing to NPR, describing her as a “true humanitarian” who believed deeply in the power of quality journalism. “Her life’s work was connection through ideas and culture,” he said.
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Stamberg joined NPR shortly after its launch in 1971 and became co-host of its flagship program within a year.
In doing so, she made history as the first woman to host a national newscast, an important milestone in an era when the authoritative voices in news were predominantly male, such as Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow.
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Reflecting on that time, Stamberg recalled, “There were no role models, there were these men, these deep-voiced announcers, and they were the authoritative ones.” She even remembered adapting to fit the mold, jokingly saying, “So I lowered my voice and spoke like this.”
(More details to follow…)
