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A Retrospective: 28 Media Leaders Who Died This Decade

The Aughts
» 7 comments

2006

Betty Friedan


Who: Betty Friedan
Major Accomplishment: With its impassioned yet clear-eyed analysis of the issues that affected women’s lives in the decades after World War II, “The Feminine Mystique” is widely regarded as one of the most influential nonfiction books of the 20th century. The book had sold more than three million copies by the year 2000 and has been translated into many languages.
Legacy: Despite all of her later achievements, Friedan would be forever known as the suburban housewife who started a revolution with “The Feminine Mystique.” Rarely has a single book been responsible for such sweeping, tumultuous and continuing social transformation.

aaron-spelling


Who: Aaron Spelling
Major Accomplishment: Spelling’s career was defined by size and volume. He carved a place for himself in the Guinness Book of Records for the most hours of television produced: more than 3,000. At one time, in the 1970′s and early 1980′s, Spelling produced seven hours of programming a week on ABC, a third of that network’s total prime-time schedule.
Legacy: “Beverly Hills, 90210″ appeared in 1990. From that moment until his death, Spelling had at least two programs on network schedules. At the same time, his earlier series were playing in repeats almost endlessly and in almost every part of the world.

>>>NEXT: 2007 was not spared when it came to losing media legends…

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  • ImNotBlue

    No Farrah Fawcett? She was a media icon! That poster alone was a huge deal!

    But perhaps more confusing, no Michael Jackson?

    Sure we’re all sick of hearing about the coverage… but come on, if ever there was a media star, he was it. From the birth of the music video, to the television commercials, to the movies, to the wacky stuff in the later years… not to mention the music… MJ was all things media! I think he deserves to be on the list, for sure.

  • Jim R

    Well done, Danny, a significant list indeed.

  • Rel E Vant

    What, no Ed Bradley?

    Guess it only matters if we lose white “media leaders,” huh?

    And for the record, including Kate Hepburn, Bob Hope, William Hanna and Johnny Carson is totally stretching the “media” designation beyond all recognition.

  • ClarkKent_DC

    These are “the figures who helped define, shape and set the standards in their industries” — but there’s no mention of John H. Johnson, founder of Ebony magazine? Carl T. Rowan, public servant, author and columnist? Ed Bradley, “60 Minutes” correspondent? August Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright? Not even Richard Pryor or Michael Jackson?

  • wdawkins

    Thank you for updating the list.

    Do understand that the criticism of the lack of diversity this morning was not a matter special pleading, but was based on merit. The gaping omissions spoke to credibility and authenticity of the list.

    Regarding the additions, Chisholm did not win a primary, but she changed the California winner-take-all primary system in 1972.

    Johnson’s Ebony/Jet had iconic journalistic moments and products: The Emmett Till casket photo in 1955, the photo of widow Coretta Scott King in 1968 and the seminal book “Before the Mayflower” by editor and popular historian Lerone Bennett Jr.

  • asamuels

    Why is the original list still available to be found on this site without having the mea culpa added to it? Also, your description of John Johnson is unacceptable.To state that the only reason why Ebony and Jet magazines were remarkable is because of race-specific advertising is missing the point in its entirety. The Johnson magazine empire is legendary because Johnson dared do – and succeeded – where others could not. Black folks were being lynched for being able to read and write and Johnson still decided to start a magazine that uplifted black folk.

    Johnson was friends with presidents. He created America’s first black magazine amidst a most dangerous time. He gave opportunity to black journalists when whites were too racist to be bothered with us. I don’t know who wrote up this description, but a simple Google search would have turned up quite a bit more. You could also have read his bio or gone to the Web site. He was not legendary because of advertising alone. He’s legendary because he put black people on magazine covers. He told the stories of black people. He helped to cement our perceptions of black beauty. Most importantly though, for the first three decades, he told our stories when no one else would.

    He’s legendary because he started something big and it stuck.

  • Gdub

    So by adding five African-Americans of note to the end of this list, we should be pleased? Are you serious? And what about other people “of color?” This was handled very, very poorly, all-around.

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