My Take on Graham Essay

Before I begin I would like to issue an apology for the late nature of this post. That said, I shall begin.

A particular part of Barbara Howar's piece, entitled, 'A Report on a Life Lived in Washington' resonated with me in a new and interesting way. Howar asserts early on in her essay that Washington was not a friendly town for women looking to forge a path in government or politics of any kind. She stated that "it was not an easy town for women seeking employment other than typing or stripping". As I was reading the piece to look for changes in the way Washington has evolved, I noticed that Howar's sentiment has changed in an important way.

I drew a parallel in the Howar piece to a story I learned while working at NBC this semester. The Executive Producer of the show Meet the Press (the show I am interning at) was much like Howar in her junior year of college. Unsure of her longterm ambitions, she wished to try a hand in television, a field dominated mostly by males. Starting as an intern with the show, she quickly worked her way through nearly every position in the office until, finally, garnering the top spot as the Executive Producer. Today she stands at the helm of one of the most influential media outlets in the country and is considered one of the most important people behind the scenes in Washington. Boosting a rolodex of over 3,000 contacts, she has opened the door for women in the media (at least from a production standpoint) and has helped other females ascend to great heights. Interestingly enough, her second in command at Meet the Press, another well respected woman in the media was just offered the Executive Producer spot at a rival morning show.

So Washington has changed greatly since Howar's day. Perhaps we owe a lot to her ambitions, which helped pave the way for important people like Betsy.