Examining the Career of Barbara Walters

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It – Examining the Career of Barbara Walters

Podcast Information:

• Title: All Of It
• Host: Alison Stewart, WNYC
• Episode: Examining the Career of Barbara Walters
• Release Date: June 12, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart delves into the illustrious career of legendary journalist Barbara Walters through the lens of the new documentary, Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything. Premiering at the Tribeca Festival and set to stream on Hulu starting June 23, the documentary is directed by Jackie Jesko, who joins Stewart to discuss her exploration of Walters' life and legacy.

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Exploring Barbara Walters Through the Documentary

Jackie Jesko provides an insightful look into the documentary's creation, highlighting the extensive collaboration with ABC News, Barbara's home network. Jesko remarks on the wealth of archival footage available, emphasizing the film's aim to portray a more intimate and multifaceted view of Walters.

“We were just kind of looking around for things that were on the cutting room floor, right? Little moments that maybe would reveal a little bit about what Barbara was like... the hope is that this ultimately is a portrait of Barbara that will show a new side to her, a more intimate side.”
— Jackie Jesko [02:08]

One standout piece of unused footage is Walters' interview with Cuban leader Fidel Castro, which Jesko describes as revealing Walters' commanding presence and chemistry with Castro.

“It was really her at the height of her power because she kind of had him wrapped around her little finger... It’s honestly very cool to look at.”
— Jackie Jesko [02:47]

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Barbara Walters' Early Life and Career Challenges

The discussion shifts to Barbara Walters' formative years, where Jesko explains how her challenging childhood shaped her ambition and resilience.

“She says that she was a loner and that she always felt sort of sad and lonely... she grew up with this fabulous nightclub producer father who was also never home and who was a bit of a gambler... all of the responsibility for the family fell on Barbara.”
— Jackie Jesko [04:45]

Walters' struggle with a lisp is another focal point, illustrating her determination to overcome personal insecurities.

“She actually went to a bunch of speech therapists when she was at NBC News because they were trying to help her get rid of it... her ambition and her focus was unrivaled.”
— Jackie Jesko [05:53]

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Overcoming Obstacles in a Male-Dominated Industry

Jesko discusses Walters' early career, particularly her tenure on the Today Show, where she faced significant sexism and poor chemistry with male co-hosts. Walters leveraged these challenges by shifting her focus to field interviews, which became her hallmark.

“She ends up leaving the anchor desk, going out into the field and conducting interviews, which is exactly what made her famous. So every disadvantage for her was turned into an advantage.”
— Jackie Jesko [07:19]

This resilience is further highlighted by Walters’ move to ABC News with a $1 million contract, where she was nicknamed the "Million Dollar Baby." Despite initial setbacks, her dedication eventually solidified her status as a leading journalist.

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Mastering the "Get": Barbara's Interviewing Prowess

A significant portion of the documentary examines Walters' adeptness at securing high-profile interviews, referred to as "the get." Jesko explains how Walters' personal connections and proactive approach distinguished her in the crowded media landscape.

“She was maybe the first to perfect the working of the Rolodex booking... she would call people herself. She wasn’t gonna complain.”
— Jackie Jesko [09:40]

Walters was known for her extensive preparation and ability to ask probing questions, though some of them have not aged well by today's standards.

“She famously asked the Kardashians... she would ask people like Harvey Fierstein, you know, what's it like to be a homosexual... it's refreshing.”
— Jackie Jesko [11:53]

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Sexism and Trailblazing for Women in Journalism

Jesko addresses the pervasive sexism Walters faced, noting that while Walters became a household name, she never fully escaped being categorized as a female journalist.

“She was never going to escape being a woman. I don’t think she wanted to.”
— Jackie Jesko [12:21]

Despite these challenges, Walters paved the way for countless women in the industry, embodying the role of a trailblazer who excelled in a male-dominated field.

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Creation and Legacy of "The View"

The documentary also explores Walters' creation of The View in 1977, a groundbreaking talk show that brought together women of diverse backgrounds to discuss pertinent issues. Jesko recounts Walters' initial vision and the skepticism it faced.

“She said, ‘Who wants to hear women talk?’ And she’s like, ‘I want to hear women talk.’ And she ends up creating a form that has now been often imitated, never matched.”
— Jackie Jesko [13:21]

The View remains a cultural staple, testament to Walters' foresight and commitment to elevating women's voices in media.

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Personal Relationships and Honest Portrayals

Jesko emphasizes the documentary's commitment to honesty, showcasing candid reflections from Walters' colleagues and friends, including Oprah Winfrey and Katie Couric. These interviews reveal Walters' complexities, such as her relationship with her adopted daughter and her professional dynamics with peers like Connie Chung and Joy Behar.

“This isn't a hagiography. That was never the aim. We do have to respect that Barbara lives in a very different time.”
— Jackie Jesko [14:27]

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Relevance in the Modern Media Landscape

When asked if an interviewer like Barbara Walters could thrive today, Jesko reflects on the changes brought by social media, which grant public figures direct access to audiences, potentially reducing the need for traditional in-depth interviews.

“We lose things in that. People don’t have to answer hard questions anymore. They can just go on Instagram live or... I think we could use a little more of this.”
— Jackie Jesko [15:30]

Despite the evolving media landscape, Walters' honest and probing interviewing style continues to resonate, as evidenced by the popularity of her clips on platforms like TikTok.

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Conclusion

Through Jackie Jesko's thoughtful exploration, the documentary Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything paints a comprehensive portrait of a woman who not only navigated but also transformed the landscape of journalism. The podcast episode highlights Walters' resilience, her pioneering approach to interviewing, and her enduring impact on media and culture.

“I think there's an honesty to her that people are attracted to right now... it's refreshing.”
— Jackie Jesko [16:05]

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This detailed summary captures the essence of the podcast episode, providing listeners with a thorough understanding of Barbara Walters' career, as examined through Jesko's documentary. Notable quotes and specific timestamps offer additional depth, ensuring the summary is both engaging and informative for those who have yet to listen.

Transcript

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[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it from WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. As part of our Tribeca Festival coverage, we look back on a woman who has conducted interviews with Cuban leader Fidel Castro Castro, country star Dolly Parton, and allowed the world the first voice to come out of Monica Lewinsky's mouth. Barbara Walters career spanned more than 50 decades. From a time when it took women took a woman took a backseat in news to creating her much imitated show, the View, a new documentary of Barbara Walters and how she managed in a male dominated industry. It features interviews with folks like Oprah Winfrey and Katie Couric. They described a Barbara Walters, what she was like when the cameras were off. The film is called Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything. It's premiering today through the 15th at the Tribeca Festival and it'll be on Hulu and Hulu on Disney on June 23. Director Jackie Jesko joins us now. Hi, Jackie.

[Jackie Jesko]

Hi, Alison.

[Alison Stewart]

So you did this film in cooperation with ABC News, Barbara's home network, mostly her home network. What did the footage reveal to you? As you started to go through all of the footage, what did it reveal to you about Barbara?

[Jackie Jesko]

Yeah, it was really an amazing experience to go through all of that. So ABC News, our partners opened up this incredible archive as, as you already said, five decades of Barbara's work. And you know, we were just kind of looking around for things that were on the cutting room floor, right? Little moments that maybe would reveal a little bit about what Barbara was like, you know, what, you know, was she funny? You know, was she witty? The answer is yes to both those two things. But you know, the hope is that this ultimately is a portrait of Barbara that will show a new side to Her a more intimate side.

[Alison Stewart]

What was a piece of footage that you either you didn't use or you might have used that you really gets at Barbara Walters?

[Jackie Jesko]

You know, my favorite interview of hers was the Fidel Castro interview, and there was probably 24 hours of footage, so we certainly did not use it all. But it was really her at the height of her power because she kind of had him wrapped around her little finger. You know, she pushed in about his romantic life. You know, they had a chemistry that was pretty intense. And meanwhile, he's just puffing a cigar and getting the smoke in her face. It's honestly very cool to look at. So that was probably my favorite.

[Alison Stewart]

When you pitched out to people like.

[Interviewee]

Oprah and to Katie Courager, both in this interview, what was the pitch?

[Jackie Jesko]

I mean, the pitch was, would you like to talk about Barbara Walters? And the answer was often, absolutely. So it actually wasn't so difficult to get them to talk about it. And they were all such amazing interviews and so insightful.

[Interviewee]

And I have to ask you, because ABC News was a part of it, did they have any influence on the documentary?

[Jackie Jesko]

Well, you know, we worked with ABC studios in a partnership, so, you know, there was influence, of course. But as you also know, this was a production of Imagine documentaries, who are known for doing some of the best biopics and other films in the game. And so, you know, I really felt like ABC News wanted the full portrait of Barbara, and I think that we did that.

[Interviewee]

You hear Barbara Walters telling her own story. Was this a planned documentary a long time ago that never came fruition, or why was she so much. Why was she in it?

[Jackie Jesko]

No, not at all. Actually, at the beginning of this process, we had no idea how much of her voice we'd be able to use. You know, she didn't record her own audiobook. We didn't have that. And no, there wasn't some secret master interview of her whole life. Ultimately, what happened was we had an amazing archival team, and they found probably eight different interviews she gave over the years, and we were able to piece that together in a bit of a patchwork quilt.

[Alison Stewart]

I'm speaking to Jackie Jesko, director of the new documentary Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything. She's here to discuss the career and life of Barbara Walters. It's premiering tonight at the Tribeca Festival and begins streaming on June 23rd on Hulu and Hulu on Disney. What was Barbara like when she was a little girl?

[Jackie Jesko]

Well, she says that she was a loner and that she always felt sort of sad and lonely. You know, she had a really interesting childhood. And, you know, maybe it's a cliche to say someone's childhood shapes them, but in her case, I think it's almost. It's so obvious how it did. You know, she grew up with this fabulous nightclub producer father who was also never home and who was a bit of a gambler. And it was like a riches to rags story. You know, her mom didn't have agency at that time. Her sister had a mental disability. So all of the responsibility for the family fell on Barbara. And so you can see both the drive for her ambition and her showmanship all deriving from this, like, very unique family situation.

[Alison Stewart]

It's so interesting. My mom went to college with Barbara Walters.

[Jackie Jesko]

Really? Sarah Lawrence?

[Alison Stewart]

Yes. And my dad, who was her boyfriend, when Barbara Walters made it, he said it was astonishing that she made it because she had. That lisp was real. Yeah, her lisp was really something that caught your attention. How did Barbara Walters work around the lisp? How did she deal with the lisp? It was an issue.

[Jackie Jesko]

Well, you know, we don't really get into it that deeply in the doc, but I do know from reading her autobiography, which was awesome audition, I'd recommend it, that she actually went to a bunch of speech therapists when she was at NBC News because they were trying to help her get rid of it. But she was never really able to totally get over having that lisp. And, you know, I think one of the remarkable things about Barbara is that she was insecure about a lot of things. You know, she was insecure about. She was very open about that. And I think about her lisp. And, you know, ultimately she was an underdog. You know, there weren't women doing what she was doing or ended up doing. She felt like she wasn't the choice that anybody would have picked. Right. But yet she still did it because I think her ambition and her focus was unrivaled.

[Alison Stewart]

She wound up on the Today show. She didn't initially want to be on the Today show. She started as a writer. How does she wind up on the Today show?

[Jackie Jesko]

I think just tenacity, which is pretty much the story of everything she achieved.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah. What do you mean?

[Jackie Jesko]

Just years and years of, I think, wanting to be in front of the camera, getting a big break, doing the best she could with it, you know, pulling all the levers that she knew how, and generally just being great at getting people to open up and whether that be a dictator or a celebrity. Something about Barbara took people off guard.

[Interviewee]

When she was at NBC she had her benefactors and she had her detractors.

[Alison Stewart]

Who are her benefactors and who are.

[Jackie Jesko]

Her detractors at NBC or at abc?

[Interviewee]

At NBC.

[Jackie Jesko]

At NBC. Well, you know, I think that she. Her detractor most certainly was her co host of the Today show. Right. And she had a similar relationship with him that she ultimately had with Harry Reasoner at abc. It's almost like the history repeated itself for her.

[Interviewee]

Yeah, it did.

[Jackie Jesko]

You know, she gets this anchor desk job. The male co anchor doesn't want her there, and the chemistry is awful. And so what does she do in both of these situations? She ends up leaving the anchor desk, going out into the field and conducting interviews, which is exactly what made her famous. So every disadvantage for her was turned into an advantage. And I think that's one really cool thing about her story.

[Interviewee]

Yeah, she was lured to ABC News by a $1 million contract. It'd be 5 million now in today's days. By the time they called her the Million Dollar Baby, she was going there to anchor the news. And I have to wonder, as you watched it, what impact did it have on her being the news rather than just someone who delivers or reports it?

[Jackie Jesko]

I mean, she describes that time as the hardest time of her life. You know, she was subject to so much scrutiny and like, she felt like she had so much riding on this position. And then she gets there and it's awful. You know, she's a flop, as she says, and she really thought her career was over and that there is an alternate timeline in which her career would have been over. But, you know, she wasn't a person who gave up easily.

[Interviewee]

How did she deal with Harry Reasoner?

[Jackie Jesko]

You know, I think she just grinned and bared it with Harry Reasoner and then did her own stuff on the side. You know, she wasn't gonna complain.

[Interviewee]

So did you think being in the evening news, being the person delivering the news, was that the right fit for her?

[Jackie Jesko]

Really? You know, it's hard to say. I guess the evidence would suggest no. And that. And that her, you know, she was much better suited to long, interesting field interviews. But, you know, I think in a different situation, if she had a more friendly co host, it would have been different.

[Interviewee]

I'm speaking to Jackie Jesko, director of the new documentary Barbara Walters. Tell Me Everything. It's part of our Tribeca Festival coverage. She hosted 20 20. 202020 on ABC. She interviewed everyone from teen murderers to world leaders. And she was really, really good at getting the get. First of all, explain to people what the get is.

[Jackie Jesko]

Okay, so the get is any interview subject that everybody's fighting over. You know, that could be a tabloid headliner or a celebrity. You know, like, Tanya Harding would be an example of a huge get. Monica Lewinsky, obviously, things like that.

[Interviewee]

How is she so good at the get?

[Jackie Jesko]

I think that Barbara was maybe the first to perfect the working of the Rolodex booking. You know, like, she came up at a time when there weren't that many other women on tv, period. And I think that she was able to use her social connections and her social life, which was glittering and interesting, you know, to sort of keep in touch with different people. She would call people herself. She wouldn't have her bookers do it. You know, she was on the ball with people, and she knew how to approach people. And I think that personal touch made a big difference. And over the years, as the space got more crowded, she still stood out for that.

[Interviewee]

She was also known for having so many questions. She had these cards full of questions. How did she sort through them? I always thought that was really interesting. How did she decide what was the right order? How do I ask them?

[Jackie Jesko]

You talk to the people who produce for her, and it's almost like they have note card, ptsd. They're talking about going over the note cards, people coming into the room, you know, like an assistant, and they're like, what do you think I should ask this person? I actually think, though, ultimately, after talking to all her producers, that she would have all the questions sometimes in order, but just knowing them so well and being so read into what was going on allowed her to be freer during the interview and kind of go with the flow of the conversation.

[Alison Stewart]

She was well known for asking a question that no one would answer. What are a few examples of that?

[Jackie Jesko]

Oh, my gosh. You know, she famously asked the Kardashians, you know, you don't have any talent, or didn't ask them that told them that you don't have any talent. You know, she asked Martha Stewart why people hate her so much. You know, she would ask people like Harvey Fierstein, you know, what's it like to be a homosexual? And a lot of these questions you could argue haven't aged well. But I would point out that that Harvey Fierstein interview was from the early 80s, and in its own way, it was probably, you know, cutting edge of culture.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah. I'm going to ask you. Which questions didn't stand up so well?

[Jackie Jesko]

Well, I think the ones like when she asked Bette Midler, you know, how would you Rate your looks on a scale of 1 to 10. Bet who you interview in the film was a great sport about it, but, you know, it's the kind of thing you don't ask anymore. But, you know, I don't think any of us would want to be judged by the standards of 30 years from now. To be fair.

[Alison Stewart]

A big topic in the documentary is the sexism that Barbara Walters faced throughout her career. Was there ever a point in her career where she was seen as a journalist instead of a female journalist?

[Jackie Jesko]

Oh, that's an interesting question. I mean, look, I think by the 80s and 90s, she was Barbara Walters, you know. Of course. Yeah, exactly. Period mic drop. Like, she was more famous than nearly anybody that she interviewed. So, you know. But she was never going to escape being a woman. I don't think she wanted to.

[Alison Stewart]

How did she feel about the competition?

[Jackie Jesko]

I mean, you know, she was a trailblazer and she blazed the way for a lot of other women to follow her at the same time, you know, she worked at ABC News when it was run by Roon Arledge, who was a very famous president of ABC News.

[Alison Stewart]

I called him the anchor monster. Yes.

[Jackie Jesko]

His main. His main idea was that competition, even internal competition, is a net good thing. You know, it brings out the best in our people. And I don't know, maybe he was right, but I think it was a rough road for the people who had to live it.

[Alison Stewart]

Barbara created The View in 1977. What was her initial show, her initial vision for the view?

[Jackie Jesko]

1997, you know, she. It was pretty simple, and she actually said it in the original opening of the show. It's like, what happens if you get five women of different ages and different backgrounds just to sit around and talk? And it's a pretty funny story because I think that when she and Bill Getty pitched it around, people thought it was kind of a bad idea. You know, she said herself like, who wants to hear women talk? And she's like, I want to hear women talk. And she ends up, you know, creating a form that has now been often imitated, never matched, you know, and remains culturally relevant and super important to this day.

[Alison Stewart]

The film touches on Barbara Walters relationship with her adopted daughter, her colleagues through Connie Chung and Joy Behar. You also hear other people sort of.

[Interviewee]

Tell you, I learned from Barbara what.

[Alison Stewart]

Not to do in my relationship. Like Katie Courk's like, I know I.

[Interviewee]

Have to, like, look after my kid.

[Alison Stewart]

How did you approach them for the.

[Interviewee]

Film, the people that you interviewed for the film?

[Alison Stewart]

And how did you get them to.

[Interviewee]

Be honest about Barbara Walters. That's what I found really interesting, that they were honest. Oprah was really honest at the end of the interview.

[Jackie Jesko]

I mean, that's what we wanted. You know, this isn't a hagiography. That was never the aim. You know, I don't think that that's reality. And neither did my fine producers at Imagine and ABC News studios. And so, you know, it. It was kind of great to be able to talk so openly with someone like Oprah about. I mean, she said, like, you know, explained why she never had children. And so part of that was seeing how things worked out with Barbara and her daughter Jackie. And I thought. I mean, in the moment, I was like, oh, my gosh, that's such a huge mic drop thing you just said. But, you know, like, and it's interesting because I'm a working mother. You know, Betsy west, our executive producer, is a working mother. Sarah Bernstein of Imagine's a working mother. I didn't want to have the same kind of tired conversation about, can women really have it all? You know, it's just. It's just kind of exhausting. But we do have to respect that Barbara lives in a very different time. Very different time. And had a much like, had a career that was incomparable, first name, Oprah level career. Right. And so I do think she has struggles that I'd like to hope those of us having children now and in the workplace don't face.

[Interviewee]

Do you think in our current media age, could an interviewer like Barbara Walters exist?

[Jackie Jesko]

You know, it's a really interesting question because I think that because celebrities and politicians have access to their audience directly through social media, they don't really have to submit themselves to the kind of questioning that someone like Barbara Walters would do. Right. And we lose things in that. Right. People don't have to answer hard questions anymore. They can just go on Instagram live or, you know, do whatever they want. And I think we could use a little more of this.

[Interviewee]

How do you think her voice resonates today?

[Jackie Jesko]

It's interesting because I was actually talking to some of your interns, and we were talking about the show because they watched it and liked it. And, you know, they were saying that some of her clips are big on TikTok and things like that. You know, I think that. I think there's an honesty to her that people are attracted to right now, you know, frankly. And I think, like, these clips of her, you know, even if they're conveyed as, look how mean she is, it's refreshing. You know we all like it. As Andy Cohen says, I want to.

[Interviewee]

Know the name of the film is Barbara Walters. Tell me everything. I've been speaking with its director, Jackie Jesko. It is premiering tonight at Tribeca Festival. Have a great premiere.

[Jackie Jesko]

Thank you so much, Alison.

[Alison Stewart]

Recently, singer songwriter Bristin Maroney joined us for a live performance in our studio. His new album Jimmy is out now. In our interview, we talked about while making this album how Briston felt free to be more vulnerable and to truly express himself. That's something that comes through in the extra song he was kind enough to record. This is Bristen Maroney with a live performance of his new song DNA.

[Bristen Maroney]

Cherry tip cigarette ripping heaters Even in June Isadora's got the style tips to make you look hungover at school.

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[Bristen Maroney]

Got the alcoholic brain freeze drinking sweet red from the vine and you were laughing at the mugshot cause you always hated waiting in line in line.

[Jackie Jesko]

Oh.

[Bristen Maroney]

I can't help to feel damned in my DNA New York city's killing me but babe, I'm here to stay Break me over your knees make me complete by making me scatter on the beach you're so sweet when you lie through your teeth when you lie through your teeth Oh, I can't help to feel damned it's in my DNA New York city's killing me but babe, I'm here to stay Oh, I can't help to feel down it's in my DNA New York city's killing.

[Interviewee]

That was Bristen Maroney singing DNA live in our studios.

[Alison Stewart]

I'm Alison Stewart. I appreciate you listening and I appreciate you. We'll see Celebrate dads tomorrow.

[Interviewee]

Get ready to call in about your dad.

[Alison Stewart]

That's next time.

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