Podcast Summary: The Life of Groundbreaking Journalist Maggie Higgins

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Episode Date: March 22, 2024
Host: Kusha Navadar (in for Alison Stewart)
Guest: Jeanette Conant (biographer, author of Fierce: The Life and Legend of War Correspondent Maggie Higgins)
Producer: Jordan Loff

Episode Overview

This episode highlights the life and legacy of trailblazing war correspondent Maggie Higgins. Through a conversation with Maggie's biographer, Jeanette Conant, listeners explore Higgins’ remarkable path from outsider to pioneering journalist, her dogged determination to report alongside men in some of the 20th century’s most significant conflicts, and the challenges and triumphs that defined her career. The discussion situates Higgins’ experiences within the contexts of gender, competition, generational shifts in journalism, and the costs of a relentless drive for excellence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Roots of Maggie Higgins’ Drive and Distinct Perspective

[02:13–03:48]

• Background: Born in 1920, raised in multiple cultures (Hong Kong, California), Maggie faced early isolation and language challenges.
  • Quote (Jeanette Conant, 02:45): “She spoke a couple of languages and she had a great facility for language. So she started out as bilingual. She studied German, French from an early age...”
• Outsider Perspective: Her "Irish French, Hong Kong heritage" and modest upbringing led to a “chip on her shoulder,” fueling her need to overachieve.
• Education Barrier: Gained entry to Columbia Journalism School due to a last-minute spot, highlighting early barriers for women.

2. Fierce Competitiveness—Asset and Flaw

[03:48–05:03]

• Drive to Prove Herself: Focused on outperforming male colleagues rather than aligning with women of her generation.
• Risks and Relationships: Tirelessness and recklessness helped her get exclusive stories but sometimes made her prickly and isolated from peers.
  • Quote (Jeanette Conant, 03:59): “She was absolutely tireless. And she was reckless in the sense that she would take risks that they wouldn’t to get stories to beat them.”

3. Breaking into Journalism During WWII

[05:03–06:21]

• Chance and Audacity: Arrived in NYC with $7, chose the Herald Tribune by happenstance, and refused to let setbacks stop her.
  • Quote (Jeanette Conant, 05:08): “She went straight out of college... with $7 in her pocket and her fierce ambition. She went straight to the New York Herald Tribune... and she asked for a job.”
• Persistence: Used school connections to become campus correspondent, leveraging every opportunity.

4. The Dachau Scoop: Defining a Journalist’s MO

[06:21–07:14]

• Epic Risk-Taking: Defied orders to cover Dachau’s liberation, convincing a fellow reporter to cross enemy lines for the scoop.
  • Quote (Jeanette Conant, 06:30): “...showing how she was told that she couldn’t go there... So she promptly went off and found a young Stars and Stripes correspondent... and so they dashed across occupied territory ahead of the American forces because she wanted to get there first.”
• Emerging Pattern: “Always in search of a fearless male correspondent, a jeep and a way to travel ahead of the forces.”

5. Learning from War: WWII to Korea

[07:14–08:36]

• Signature Style: From Europe’s liberation to Korea, she sought exclusives by following (and sometimes exceeding) the men’s front-line risks.
• Pulitzer-Worthy Coverage: Her firsthand reporting after physically grueling experiences, including a 14-mile walk from Seoul, established her reputation.
  • Quote (Jeanette Conant, 08:36): “...Failure to reach the front would undermine all my arguments that I was entitled to the same breaks as any man.”

6. Barriers as a Woman and Turning Them into Advantages

[09:10–12:49]

• Institutional Obstacles: Despite proven capability, was thrown out of Korea for “no facilities for ladies”—only to be reinstated after appealing to Gen. MacArthur.
  • Quote (Jeanette Conant, 09:10): “...even after she was one of the first four correspondents into Korea... she was thrown out of Korea by a general who said it was no place for a woman.”
• Tough Rivalries: Notably with Homer Biggert, with both using each other's presence as motivation to report harder and better—as well as media coverage that highlighted gender.
  • Quote (Jeanette Conant, 10:28): “There was tremendous animosity. He, Halbert Biggert, was more than a decade older... and he ordered her home and he was going to take over and she wouldn't leave...”

7. Gender Dynamics in Reporting and Risk

[12:10–12:49]

• Leveraging Gender When Needed: While Higgins disliked her gender being the story, she pragmatically accepted attention if it helped keep her at the front.
  • Quote (Jeanette Conant, 12:15): “I don't think Maggie Higgins wanted coverage for being a woman, but she would take it if it meant she could stay, wouldn't turn it down…”

8. The Generational Shift: Vietnam Coverage

[12:49–15:18]

• Ideological Divide: Covered Vietnam with a Cold War anti-communist lens; clashed with younger, less dogmatic reporters (“The Rover Boys”—in particular, David Halberstam).
  • Quote (Jeanette Conant, 12:59): “She started covering Vietnam in 54 as an extension, really, of the Korean War. And she carried that Cold War mentality forward. But by the early 60s, a new generation was coming in…”
  • Quote (Jeanette Conant, 14:47): “The Rover Boys, as she condescendingly dubbed this younger generation of male reporters...”

9. Final Years and Tragic Early Death

[15:18–16:24]

• Unyielding Commitment: Contracted a fatal illness in Vietnam, refused to seek medical help until it was too late due to dedication to her work.
  • Quote (Jeanette Conant, 15:28): “She probably could have lived had she not been so stubborn, but she had been incredibly resilient in the past…”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On breaking barriers at the Herald Tribune:
  • “...with $7 in her pocket and her fierce ambition. She went straight to the New York Herald Tribune... and she asked for a job.” (Jeanette Conant, 05:08)
• On the riskiness that defined her reporting:
  • “She promptly went off and found a young Stars and Stripes correspondent who had his own jeep and convinced him to take her [to Dachau].” (Jeanette Conant, 06:30)
• On using gender pragmatically:
  • “If being a woman is going to be a problem, I'm going to take it when it's an advantage.” (Interviewer, paraphrasing, 12:10–12:15)
• On her rivalry with men in the field:
  • “It became a joke that she was going to get Homer Biggert and all the men killed because she kept going to the front with the troops to get exclusives while they were back in the bureau.” (Jeanette Conant, 12:15)
• On her “genius for bad publicity”:
  • “...if people tried to congratulate her or sort be kind to her, she could just be too tough, too mean, too unrelenting, because she just felt she had to constantly, constantly prove herself.” (Jeanette Conant, 03:59)
• On her final days:
  • “...she wouldn't go to the hospital. She went home and she kept filing. She was so determined to keep up her three times a week column.” (Jeanette Conant, 15:28)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Context: [00:41–01:02]
• Overview of Maggie Higgins’ Life: [01:02–02:13]
• Early Life & Outsider Status: [02:13–03:48]
• Competitiveness in the Field: [03:48–05:03]
• Breaking into the Herald Tribune: [05:03–06:21]
• Dachau Liberation Coverage: [06:21–07:14]
• Legacy of WWII Reporting: [07:14–08:36]
• Early Korea War Experience & Gender Barriers: [08:36–12:10]
• Rivalry with Homer Biggert: [10:12–12:49]
• Adapting to (and confronting) Gender Dynamics: [12:10–12:49]
• Vietnam Coverage & Generational Shift: [12:49–15:18]
• Higgins’ Final Weeks and Death: [15:18–16:24]

Conclusion

The episode paints a vivid portrait of Maggie Higgins as a relentless, pioneering journalist who battled institutional sexism, professional rivalries, and the dangers of war zones with equal tenacity. Her life story is both an inspiration and a lens through which to examine the evolving roles of women in journalism and the cost of blazing new trails. Jeanette Conant’s reflections bring both nuance and reverence to Higgins’ legacy, illuminating a figure whose impact is still deeply felt—even if her story isn’t yet a household one.

For anyone interested in women’s history, journalism, or the untold stories of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, this episode offers an insightful, engaging narrative of determination and legacy.