Legendary journalist Barbara Walters dies at 93

Legendary journalist Barbara Walters has reportedly died at the age of 93.

Walters was a pioneer in television news and a longtime ABC News anchor and correspondent, according to ABC News. She joined ABC News in 1976 and became the first female anchor on an evening news program. A few years later she became a co-host on “20/20″ and she helped create the show, “The View.”

Walters’ death was announced by ABC on air Friday evening, according to The Associated Press.

Walters reportedly made headlines when she became the first female networks news anchor with an annual salary of $1 million, according to the AP.

Colleagues, fellow journalists react to Barbara Walters’ death

Walters interviews with prominent figures in entertainment and politics ranging from Katharine Hepburn to Monica Lewinsky to Jimmy Carter and Anwar Sadat, according to Variety. Her interview with Lewinsky on Mar. 3, 1999, was reportedly seen by 74 million viewers. That was the largest audience ever for a journalist’s interview.

According to Variety, Walters was one of the highest-paid television journalists at a point and had earned as much as $12 million a year at ABC. She worked at ABC News from 1976 until she retired in 2014. Before that, she was on NBC’s “Today” show for 12 years.

Walters’ final appearance on “The View” was taped in May 2014 which marked the end of her career on television, said the AP.

Disney CEO Robert Iger on Twitter released a statement following the announcement of Walters’ death calling her a “true legend.” He also said that Walters died at her house in New York.

“A pioneer not just for women in journalism but for journalism itself. Shew as a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state and leaders of regimes to the biggest celebrities and sports icons,” said Iger. “She will be missed by most of us at The Walt Disney Company, we send our deepest condolences to her daughter, Jacqueline.”

Walters’ cause of death is unknown, according to the AP.

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