Oprah WinfreyMandi McCoyHistory of Journalism05-07-07

OprahBorn January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, MississippiRaised by her grandmother on a farmSuffered sexual abuse from a number of male relativesMoved to Nashville, TN to live with her father, Vernon, a barber and businessmanAttended TSU in 1971

An Early JournalistAt the age of 17, began working at WVOL radio in NashvilleAt 19 years old, she became youngest person and 1st African-American woman to anchor the news at WTVF-TVCo-anchor the Six O-Clock News in BaltimoreCo-host of local talk show, People Are Talking

The Rise of the Oprah Winfrey ShowIn 1984, moved to Chicago to host WLS-TVs morning show, A.M. ChicagoAfter a month on air, began surpassing ratings of her major competitor, Phil DonahueLaunched The Oprah Winfrey Show on Sept. 8, 1986

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

Resisting the Trash

Oprahs MissionOriginally, 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 WorldTime magazine- 100 Most Influential People of the 20th CenturyNewsweek- Most Important Person in Books and MediaLife magazine- Voted most influential woman and influential black person of her generationBob Hope Humanitarian AwardLifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and SciencesForbes magazine- published in 2003, first African-American woman to become a billionaireReceived 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 1995Oprahs 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 AfricaJan. 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

Oprah and HARPO Productions, Inc.Magazine Creator/Editorial Director/AuthorO, The Oprah Magazine- April 2000, international version to South Africa launched April 2002O at Home- newsstand-only quarterly magazine launched in 2004Co-authored five booksSatellite Radio ProgrammerXM Satellite Radio channel, Oprah and Friends launched Sept. 2006Broadway ProducerThe Color Purple, December 1, 2005 at the Broadway Theatre in NYCTelevision Program CreatorDr. Phil- Sept. 2002 Rachael Ray- Sept. 2006

Works CitedAcademy of Achievement. Oprah Winfrey. 06 May 2007 http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/win0bio-1Oprah Winfreys Biography. About Oprah. 06 May 2007 http://www.oprah.com/about/press/about_press_bio.jhtmlThe Oprah Winfrey Show Fact Sheet. About Oprah. 06 May 2007 http://www.oprah.com/about/press/about_press_owsfaq.jhtml

Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi. She was raised by her grandmother in a small farming community. Oprah was sexually abused by a number of male relatives and friends of her mother, Vernita. She moved to Nashville, Tennessee to live with her strict father, Vernon. He was a barber and businessman. In 1971, she attended Tennessee State University where she majored in Speech Communications and Performing Arts.At the age of 17, she began working for a local radio station, WVOL in Nashville. At 19 years old, she signed on with WTVF-TV where she became the stations youngest and first African-American woman to anchor the news. Additionally, she went on to co-anchor the 6:00 news in Baltimore and later co-host a local talk show, People Are Talking.In 1984, Oprah moved to Chicago to host WLS-TVs morning talk show, A.M. Chicago. In less than a month, she turned the show into the hottest show in town. (Academy of Achievement) After a month on the air, her ratings began surpassing the ratings of her major competitor at the time, Phil Donahue. Within a year, the show was reformatted to a one-hour segment, renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and launched on September 8, 1986.In 1988, Oprah established her own syndicated production company, HARPO Productions. The HARPO Entertainment Group consists of HARPO Productions, HARPO Films and HARPO Video. In October 1988, she acquired ownership and production responsibilities for The Oprah Winfrey Show making her the first woman in history to own and produce her own talk show. (Academy of Achievement)In the midst with the popularity of talk shows, Oprah had to compete with the trash of daytime talk shows. These included The Jenny Jones Show, Maury and The Jerry Springer Show.In a mission statement, Oprah said that 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. (The Oprah Winfrey Show Fact Sheet)Additionally, she pledged to keep her show free from any tabloid topics. This distinguished her from the other trash talk shows on air. Her ratings initially dropped in the 90s, however, she earned respect from her viewers and soon grew in popularity. The Oprah Winfrey Show has continued to lead the number one position in the daytime talk show for 20 consecutive seasons. The show is seen by approximately 48 million viewers a week in the United States and is broadcast internationally in 132 countries. (Oprah Winfreys Biography)Oprah has received countless awards and recognitions within her life. Time magazine named her one of 100 most influential people in the world and of the 20th Century. Newsweek magazine named her the most important person in books and media. Life magazine voted Oprah the most influential woman and influential black person of her generation. Shes received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2002 and been given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Additionally, Oprah and The Oprah Winfrey Show has been awarded more than 40 daytime Emmys for Outstanding Talk Show and Outstanding Talk Show Host. (Oprah Winfrey Biography)Oprahs Angel Network, through her private charity, The Oprah Winfrey Foundation, has raised over $50 million to date. This has been used to grant scholarships to young people, fund homes for Habitat for Humanity and built schools in ten countries. The Angel Network established Use Your Life Award in April 2000 and has awarded over four million dollars to individuals who are making a difference in the lives of others. (The Oprah Winfrey Show Fact Sheet) She launched her website, Oprah.com in October 1995. Additionally, she established an on-air reading club on September 17, 1996 called Oprahs Book Club. Oprah said that she wants to get the country excited about reading again. Oprah has continued to spread her passion of philanthropy. In December 2002, the Oprah Winfrey Foundation expanded its global humanitarian efforts to South Africa donating money. By January 2007, she had established The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Foundation which contributed to $40 million towards the creation and opening of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. (Oprah Winfrey Biography)Oprah has a long list of accomplishments within the HARPO Productions. She is the magazine creator and editorial director of the Oprah magazine. Launched an XM Satellite Radio channel named Oprah and Friends in September 2006. Produced a Broadway recreation from her 1985 acting debut in the Color Purple and has created several daytime television programs, including the Dr. Phil Show and Rachael Ray.