Who is Linda Ellerbee?
Linda was born on August 15th 1944 in Bryan, Texas. She got her start in print journalism. She was hired by the Dallas bureau of the Associated Press in 1972. Later she was hired by the News Director of the Houston CBS television affiliate KHOU, who said she "wrote funny". Despite that she would go on to become New York’s WCBS-TV "hard news" reporter with her segment airing at 11:00 PM.
Here is a clip of Linda in action
NBC News Digest with Linda Ellerbee 1983
By 1991 Linda would transition from traditional adult news to a brand new news program aimed at children. Lucky Duck Productions began producing the series Nick News with Linda being the face of the program. Nick News would go on to win awards typically reserved for adult programing. Not only did it set a new standard when it came to explaining serious topics to children. The show would win three Peabody Awards (which is the highest honor a broadcaster and its related programing can earn). It would be the first children's program to do so. Linda would even win her own personal Peabody award for her coverage of President Bill Clinton’s impeachment.
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| Linda Ellerbee, IMDB |
Peabody awards are not the only awards Linda is decorated with as she has won multiple Emmys. Her first Emmy was in 1986 for her writing on Our World which won her a News & Documentary Emmy. Her next personal Emmy would come in 2004 for her series When I Was a Girl, which aired on WE: the women's entertainment network. Nick News won ten Emmys over the years.
Linda was known for more than just her television appearances. She would publish two books. The first And so it Goes published in 1986 was a humorous look at what it took to be on air. Providing a special behind the scenes look at her work at the time. Her second book was titled Move On, published in 1991 would go on to be a best seller. This novel was a collection of short stories that followed a working single mother set in the 60's. Her third book Take Big Bites: Adventures Around the World and Across the Table was also a best seller. This was a more light hearted book that featured her love for travel.
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| "And So It Goes" book cover |
Ellerbee did not retire completely, as today she is part of espeakers. Where she now travels the world giving talks to colleges, and other programs that will have her. Some of her talks include "Change Is a Form Of Hope" where she uses her personal experiences to inspire others and remind them that they should not live in fear. Another talk she does is "Surviving Breast Cancer to Laugh Another Day" she details her own journey of surviving breast cancer and how it feels to be on the other side of things 20+ years later.
Linda Ellerbee was a trailblazer for women in journalism and proved that you can still be successful and true to yourself in the process.
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