Susan Stamberg, pioneering broadcaster at NPR, dies at 87

By Harrison Smith washington post

Susan Stamberg, a “founding mother” of NPR who joined the network when it was founded and helped blaze a trail for women in journalism by becoming the first female anchor of a national nightly news program in the United States, died Thursday. She was 87 and had retired in September.

Her death was announced by NPR, which did not say where or how she died.

When Ms. Stamberg arrived at NPR, just as the network was going on air in 1971, she was tasked with cutting audiotape with a razor blade. She went on to become a producer and then an anchor, serving as a host of its flagship news program, “All Things Considered,” from 1972 to 1986.

“Susan’s voice was not only a cornerstone of NPR – it was a cornerstone of American life,” Katherine Maher, NPR’s president and chief executive, said in a statement. “She showed that journalism could be both rigorous and deeply personal. She inspired countless journalists to believe they could explore life and truth, and lead with both authority and warmth.”