Veteran radio journalist and one of the founding mothers of the National Public Radio (NPR), Susan Stamberg, passed away at the age of 87. She was the first woman in the U.S. to anchor a nightly national news program, with her All Things Considered program (via NPR). She continued her work until recently, when she retired in September.
Stamberg, who was honored with the National Radio Hall of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, covered stories and segments spanning all walks of life. She earned her money from her hosting and special correspondent roles at NPR. Katherine Maher, president and chief executive of NPR, shared in a statement (via Variety):
Susan’s voice was not only a cornerstone of NPR — it was a cornerstone of American life. 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.
She made a small fortune with her radio and journalism career spanning decades. Unsubstantiated reports put this fortune at $2.5 million, but we don’t have any credible sources on her actual income.
Susan Stamberg’s Reputed Career: From WAMU to NPR
Susan Stamberg was originally hired at NPR to cut audio tape with a razor blade, but she found her way towards broadcast journalism. She made her on-air debut at WAMU, the public radio station. She recalled her first experience on air during an interview with the Jewish Women’s Archive. She shared:
It was very sophisticated. You picked up the phone and dialed WE 6-1212. And they told you what the weather was and you wrote it down. We didn’t have meteorologists, there were no computers, and there were no windows in the studio.
However, her first time on the mic as WAMU’s weather girl didn’t go well. She blurted out the wrong temperature after she forgot to make the call to the weather station. She revealed her biggest lesson from that experience: “Always prepare. You don’t go on the air unprepared. And don’t lie to your listeners even if they never hear you and they never call.”
After her job at WAMU, she worked for the American ambassador to India for two years before joining NPR. She went from being a producer to becoming the first female anchor of All Things Considered in 1972. She recalled her career during those times (via NPR):
There were no role models, there were these men, these deep-voiced announcers, and they were the authoritative ones. So I lowered my voice and [imitating] I talked like this.
She was grateful that Bill Siemering, NPR’s first program director, was confident enough to put her behind a microphone. She shared what the program director had told her: “Be yourself.” Jack Mitchell, the first producer of her show, shared that Stamberg also had to face other challenges. He shared:
Besides being a woman, the Jewish element was another aspect. Here is somebody whose name is Stamberg. She had an obvious New York accent. Made no bones about it. [NPR board members], for instance, said, ‘too New York.’ And the president of NPR asked that I not put her in there for those — because of the complaints from managers. We did it anyway and he was very supportive afterwards.
Stamberg found a female ally in another one of NPR’s founding mothers, Linda Wertheimer. She recalled that she and Stamberg disagreed about politics. While Wertheimer loved talking about politics, Stamberg found it “the most boring thing imaginable.”
After 14 years on All Things Considered, she started hosting Weekend Edition Sunday. She also launched the Sunday puzzle for NPR in 1987. A couple of years later, she gave up the weekend host position to become a special correspondent.
All About Susan Stamberg’s Son Josh Stamberg
After Susan Stamberg’s death, her son Josh Stamberg released a statement, which read: “A true humanitarian, she believed in the power of great journalism. Her life’s work was connection, through ideas and culture” (via NPR).
Josh made his acting debut in the TV show Spin City. He had appeared as a voice artist and a background extra previously. He made his film debut in The Photographer. He appeared in films like Legion, J. Edgar, Saving Lincoln, and Day Out of Days. He appeared in the 2021 documentary film, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal.
However, he made a name for himself in television. He was a regular on the Lifetime legal drama, Drop Dead Diva. He played SWORD Director Tyler Hayward in Marvel’s WandaVision. He also appeared in shows like Nashville, Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Grey’s Anatomy, Castle, Criminal Minds, NCIS, The Rookie, and Parenthood.
Stamberg is also survived by her granddaughters and Josh’s daughters, Vivian and Lena. He had them with his ex-wife and actress Myndy Crist.
What do you think of Susan Stamberg’s life on the radio? Let us know in the comments below!
