EOTO #2, Journo Heroes

Mary Margaret McBride was a pioneering radio personality and journalist in the United States. She is often referred to as the "first lady of radio" for her groundbreaking work in broadcasting.

Mary Margaret McBride was born on November 16, 1899, in Paris, Missouri to parents, Thomas Walker McBride and Elizabeth Craig. As a child, Mcbride often moved from farm to farm with her family. 

For this reason, her early education was pretty irregular. This changed when she was enrolled in William Woods College which at the time was a preparatory school. 

From this point on, Mcbride attended school consistently. In 1916, she entered the University of Missouri and graduated with a degree in journalism in 1919.

Before Mary McBride’s career as a radio host took off, she worked as a reporter and journalist. Her reporting career was short-lived as she only lasted about a year at the Cleveland Press and only a few more at the New York Evening Mail.

Following this, Mary Margaret McBride turned to freelance magazine writing. Her work appeared in many different magazines, but some of the most notable include Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan, and Good Housekeeping. In addition to this, McBride also published a number of books with authors such as Paul Whiteman, Alexander Williams, and Helen Josephy between the 1920s through the 1930s. 

Then in 1934 until 1940, McBride ran a daily program of advice for women under the alias of Martha Deane. Her program called "Mary Margaret McBride and Her Guests "aired on radio station WOR in New York City and was appreciated by many who say that “she projected a grandmotherly kindness and wit that proved highly popular.”

While doing this, McBride also began a weekly radio program under her own name this time. It was broadcast alternatively on networks like NBC, CBS, and ABC. This program brought in millions of listeners who appreciated her “ad-lib commentary” and interesting celebrity interviews. Her target audience was housewives, but she still had a lot of male listeners tune in as well.

Overall, Mary Margaret McBride was a very influential figure in the world of radio. McBride broke down barriers for women in broadcasting and journalism. She demonstrated that daytime programming was not limited to drama and soap opera fare and that it could actually be profitable.

The manner in which she treated, spoke to, and uplifted women also set her apart from the competition. Most of her audience consisted of housewives, and they appreciated how she regarded them as more than just that. She treated her listeners with respect.

McBride was known for her warm and engaging personality, as well as her ability to connect with her listeners. Her show was hugely popular, with an estimated audience of over eight million people at its peak. She was a trailblazer in a field dominated by men, and her influence can still be felt in radio and journalism today.