Not many journalists are afforded the opportunity to engage and be mentored by one of the most influential media personalities on the planet, but fortunately for International news correspondent Lisa Ling she’s an exception to the rule. In fact, Ling has been lucky enough to be under the tutelage of not one but TWO very iconic journalists in the business. And those two women come highly credentialed with a place solidified in the history of television and business. They are none other than Barbara Walters and Oprah Winfrey.
Of course many will recognize Walters as one of the hosts of the longtime running news series 20/20. A hard-hitting journalist, Walters’ immovable countenance has long been studied by many because she knows how to smile when necessary but also has the best poker face in the industry. But one of her most shining accomplishments came in 1997 when she created The View, a critically acclaimed talk show featuring a panel of opinionated ladies speaking about the hottest topics of the day.
The View continues to be one of the most popular daytime talk shows on television, and Ling herself spent quite a few years as one of the panelists. Showbiz Cheatsheet reveals that in an excerpt from the juicy tell-all about life behind the scenes at The View titled Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View Ling created a different narrative by singing Walters praises and coming across completely appreciative of the time she had working with one of the best in the biz.
“Barbara always emphasized to me that I should really not neglect my personal life in my effort to become successful. I worked with Barbara on the show very regularly, so she and I interacted on a regular basis,” Ling revealed to the Center for Asian American Media (CAAMedia). “She was always very nurturing with me and the other women. We always felt like she was the wiser, older sister to all of us. And you know, I don’t want to say ‘mother figure’ so much because she was really a colleague.”
Ling also had similar sentiments for media mogul Winfrey, whom she also worked with as a special correspondent before hosting Our America With Lisa Ling on OWN.
“You know, the whole time I worked for Oprah, whenever I’d be on her show, I’d see her sitting there and would have to pinch myself because it was so surreal,” Ling said. “When I got my own show, I would hear from her after my show aired because she would watch all my shows and she would always email me or Tweet amazing things about me and my shows. I still have all the emails to this day.”
Ling definitely sounds appreciative of the time she had learning from two legends in the industry.
