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Celebrating Women's History Month at NPR

NPR's Founding Mothers
NPR
NPR's Founding Mothers

Founding Mothers

We must start our "Women's History Month" tribute with a special thank you to NPR's Founding Mothers: Cokie Roberts, Linda Wertheimer, Nina Totenberg and Susan Stamberg. Who paved the way for women at NPR and in broadcasting.

"...along the way I made lifelong friends, covering Congress and politics and campaigns with the late brilliant Cokie Roberts who was a great partner and Nina Totenberg, the best Supreme Court correspondent there is. For years, the three of us sat in the corner of the newsroom and presided over what some of our colleagues called the Fallopian Jungle. We thought it was a nice nod to the fact that NPR put so many women on the radio..." (Linda Wertheimer's retirement note in 2024.)

"...this was the only place I had ever worked where I wasn't either the only woman or one of two... And it was an amazing thing to work with lots of other women. And, of course, you know, the only reason they hired lots of women by and large was because they could afford us. No man would have worked for what we worked for. " NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg to Michel Martin in a 2021 interview.

Industry Firsts

NPR is an organization with a long tradition of women who break down barriers and lead the way, here are some examples of "industry firsts" from NPR women:

  • Susan Stamberg: Special Correspondent. Former host, All Things Considered. Former host, Weekend Edition Sunday. Currently special correspondent. First woman in America to anchor a national network nightly news broadcast.
  • Linda Wertheimer. Former host, All Things Considered. First broadcast director of All Things Considered. First person to broadcast live from inside the United States Senate chamber. First woman in America to anchor network coverage of a presidential nomination convention and of election night.
  • Pauline Frederick. First woman to moderate a presidential debate in 1976.
  • Women's voices on the air today

    <em>All Things Considered</em> co-host Ailsa Chang at NPR Development's 2022 Weekend in Washington for the NPR Foundation Board. November 4-5, 2022
    Allison Shelley / Allison Shelley
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    Allison Shelley
    All Things Considered co-host Ailsa Chang at NPR Development's 2022 Weekend in Washington for the NPR Foundation Board. November 4-5, 2022
    Asma Khalid co-host of the<em> NPR Politics Podcast</em>. Coverage of NPR's election night coverage, in Washington, DC on November 8, 2016.
    Stephen Voss / Stephen Voss
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    Stephen Voss
    Asma Khalid co-host of the NPR Politics Podcast. Coverage of NPR's election night coverage, in Washington, DC on November 8, 2016.
    NPR host Juana Summers records an All Things Considered segment at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., on January 24, 2024. (photo by Allison Shelley)
    Allison Shelley / Allison Shelley
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    Allison Shelley
    NPR host Juana Summers records an All Things Considered segment at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., on January 24, 2024. (photo by Allison Shelley)
    NPR correspondent Leila Fadel prepares to record a segment at KNPR in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 19, 2018.
    Allison Shelley / Allison Shelley
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    Allison Shelley
    NPR correspondent Leila Fadel prepares to record a segment at KNPR in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 19, 2018.
    Morning Edition co-host Michel Martin records a pre-tape at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., on January 24, 2024. (photo by Allison Shelley)
    Allison Shelley / Allison Shelley
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    Allison Shelley
    Morning Edition co-host Michel Martin records a pre-tape at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., on January 24, 2024. (photo by Allison Shelley)
    All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly broadcasts a segment at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., on November 8, 2018.
    / Allison Shelley
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    Allison Shelley
    All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly broadcasts a segment at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., on November 8, 2018.
    <em>Throughline</em> co-host Rund Abdelfatah at the  NPR Development's 2022 Weekend in Washington for the NPR Foundation Board. November 4-5, 2022
    Allison Shelley / Allison Shelley
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    Allison Shelley
    Throughline co-host Rund Abdelfatah at the NPR Development's 2022 Weekend in Washington for the NPR Foundation Board. November 4-5, 2022

    Below is a list of the women who hosts NPR's news magazines and podcasts today, we are grateful for their remarkable work helping all of us to make sense of world events and --in the words of Bill Siemering's 1970 Purposes-- to find "understanding, meaning and joy in the human experience."

    Ailsa Chang, Co-host, All Things Considered

    Aisha Harris, Co-host, Pop Culture Happy Hour

    Amanda Aronczyk, Co-host, Planet Money

    Anamaria Sayre, Co-host, Alt. Latino

    Asma Khalid, Co-Host, NPR Politics Podcast

    Ayesha Rascoe, Co-Host, Weekend Edition & Up First

    BA Parker, Co-host, Code Switch

    Brittany Luse, Host, It's Been a Minute

    Deepa Fernandes, Co-host, Here & Now

    Emily Kwong, Co-host, Short Wave

    Erika Beras, Co-host, Planet Money

    Juana Summers, Co-host, All Things Considered

    Kelly MvEvers, Host, Embedded

    Leila Fadel, Co-host, Morning Edition & Up First

    Linda Holmes, Co-host, Pop Culture Happy Hour

    Lori Lizarraga, Co-host, Code Switch

    Manoush Zomorodi, Host, Ted Radio Hour

    Marielle Segarra, Host, Life Kit

    Mary Childs, Co-host, Planet Money

    Mary Louise Kelly, Co-host, All Things Considered

    Michel Martin, Co-host, Morning Edition & Up First

    Rachel Martin, Host, Morning Edition (Former)

    Regina Barber, Co-host, Short Wave

    Rund Abdelfatah, Co-host, Throughline

    Sarah Gonzalez, Co-host, Planet Money

    Sidney Madden, Co-host, Louder Than a Riot

    Stacey Vanek Smith, Co-host, Indicator, Planet Money

    Terry Gross, Co-host, Fresh Air

    Tonya Mosley, Co-host, Fresh Air

    Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    Sommer Hill
    Sommer Hill (she/her) is the social media senior associate for NPR Extra. She started with NPR in May 2021. Her primary responsibilities include managing the social media accounts for NPR Extra, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok, as well as managing the NPR Extra blog.
    Isabel Lara
    Isabel Lara is NPR's Chief Communications Officer. The CCO is a new senior executive role that elevates and focuses strategic oversight of NPR's communications with all audiences, ensuring a unified and consistent voice and a strong representation of the NPR brand across channels. Lara oversees the combined team that leads NPR's press outreach, crisis communications, audience relations, talent relations, corporate messaging and stakeholder communications.