Oprah Winfrey

Mandi McCoy History of Journalism 05-07-07

Oprah

Born January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi Raised by her grandmother on a farm Suffered sexual abuse from a number of male relatives Moved to Nashville, TN to live with her father, Vernon, a barber and businessman Attended TSU in 1971

An Early Journalist

At the age of 17, began working at WVOL radio in Nashville At 19 years old, she became youngest person and 1st African-American woman to anchor the news at WTVFTV Co-anchor the Six O-Clock News in Baltimore Co-host of local talk show, People Are Talking

The Rise of the Oprah Winfrey Show

In 1984, moved to Chicago to host WLS-TVs morning show, A.M. Chicago After a month on air, began surpassing ratings of her major competitor, Phil Donahue Launched The Oprah Winfrey Show on Sept. 8, 1986

HARPO Productions, Inc.

Oprah establishes own syndicated production company in 1988 In October 1988, she became the first woman in history to own and produce her own talk show

Resisting the Trash

Oprahs Mission

Originally, our goal was to uplift, enlighten, encourage and entertain through the medium of television. Now, our mission for The Oprah Winfrey Show is to use television to transform peoples lives, to make viewers see themselves differently and to bring happiness and a sense of fulfillment into every home. Oprah Winfrey

Honorary Achievements

Time magazine- 100 Most Influential People in the World Time magazine- 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century Newsweek- Most Important Person in Books and Media Life magazine- Voted most influential woman and influential black person of her generation Bob Hope Humanitarian Award Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Forbes magazine- published in 2003, first African-American woman to become a billionaire Received more than 40 daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Talk Show and Outstanding Talk Show Host

Philanthropist and Online Leader

Oprahs Angel Network has raised $50 million to date; est. Use Your Life Award in April 2000 Oprah.com started in October 1995 Oprahs Book Club on-air reading club established September 17, 1996 I want to get the country excited about reading again! Oprah Winfrey

Cont. Philanthropist

Dec. 2002- Oprah Winfrey Foundation expanded to global humanitarian efforts to South Africa Jan. 2007- establishes The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation which contributed to $40 million toward creation and opening of Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa

Magazine Creator/Editorial Director/Author

Oprah and HARPO Productions, Inc.

O, The Oprah Magazine- April 2000, international version to South Africa launched April 2002 O at Home- newsstand-only quarterly magazine launched in 2004 Co-authored five books

Satellite Radio Programmer

XM Satellite Radio channel, Oprah and Friends launched Sept. 2006 The Color Purple, December 1, 2005 at the Broadway Theatre in NYC Dr. Phil- Sept. 2002 Rachael Ray- Sept. 2006

Broadway Producer

Television Program Creator

Works Cited

Academy of Achievement. Oprah Winfrey. 06 May 2007 http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/win0bio1 Oprah Winfreys Biography. About Oprah. 06 May 2007 http://www.oprah.com/about/press/about_press_bio. jhtml The Oprah Winfrey Show Fact Sheet. About Oprah. 06 May 2007 http://www.oprah.com/about/press/about_press_ows faq.jhtml