Barbara Walters dies at the age of 93

• Barbara Walters was a pioneering journalist.
• ABC News released a statement about her death.
• The legendary journalist was 93 years old.

Legendary journalist Barbara Walters died on Friday, December 30, 2022, at the age of 93, according to USA Today.

Considered a pioneer as the first female television news superstar, her death was also confirmed by ABC News, according to The Associated Press. Her cause of death has not been released at this time.

Barbara Walters’ unexpected death

Other details, such as where she died, were not immediately available. Barbara Walters made headlines in 1976 as the first female network news anchor, with an unprecedented $1 million annual salary, according to The Associated Press.

For more than three decades on ABC, and before that on NBC, Walters’ exclusive interviews with the famous and powerful gave her celebrity status on a par with theirs.

A prolific career

Barbara Walters’ drive was legendary as she competed for every big «win» in a world filled with more and more rivals, including women journalists who had followed the path she blazed, according to The Associated Press.

As a highly successful side venture, she created and appeared on a daytime talk show on ABC, The View. In May 2014, she recorded her last appearance on The View to mark the end of her career on TV. However, she continued to do occasional TV specials.