Sensational audiobook

Having always been interested in larger than life Nellie Bly I knew that there had to be many more women journalists who were pioneers in a world dominated by men. So, how do you get out of writing snippets in the society pages and do some real journalism when you can't even vote, sit on a jury and are not taken seriously? You work for free, work under an assumed male name or become a "girl reporter". These brave women put themselves in dangerous situations that even their male counterparts would not have done to expose scandals , dangerous situations and deplorable social conditions. They searched out women like themselves and became advocates for women's rights. Some, like Nellie Bly, would achieve fame but most had their best efforts go unnoticed by the public.Not only is this an in depth look at the "girl stunt reporters" but it is also an interesting look at the high jinx between the two biggest publishers - Heart and Pulitzer in their endless feud and quest for being crowned king of the publishing world. Kim Todd shares her research at the end of the book which tied up loose ends and I found very interesting. For any reader who enjoys learning more about the unsung female heroes. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Absolutely fine. Todd recounts the story of the pioneering women journalists of the last years of the nineteenth century.I knew a little bit about Nellie Bly and Ida B. Wells, but I learned so much more about them and a dozen other reporters. Always inspiring and Kim Todd does a great job about putting their journalism in the context of the newspapers of the time. In the last couple of chapters, she discussed their influence on more contemporary writers, e.g. Gloria Steinem and Joan Didion and in the final chapters, Kim summarizes the lives of the reporters into the twentieth century.If you have the opportunity, check out the interview with Kim Todd which was aired on C-Span Book TV, it adds another dimension to the story.

Fascinating look at journalism and the impact of "girl stunt reporters" in the late 1880's - 1930's. At a time when women had few job options beyond teaching and factory work, the women who went undercover to break cases of shocking mistreatment inside asylums, hospitals, factories, and more made huge impacts on policy! Patient rights, healthcare access, child labor laws - all of them were changed for the better because of the in depth reporting these women did. Later, the shift in journalism created more actual "stunt" reporting and the woman adventurer became both a sensation and a bit of a gimmick. Still, the overall impact and changes in how newspapers are still organized today is very reflective of history and the book led for great discussion on the importance of accurate and non-biased journalism today.

Very interesting book, enjoyed getting to learn about early reporters such as Bly, Banks, Wells and more. Found it very interesting how the movement of stunt reporters gained so much momentum and then fell apart from the Spanish American War when reporting became dominated by male correspondents. Also enjoyed the parallels to more modern day writers. I have such a disdain for the modern press and do find it full of "fake" or "sensational" news, this book confirmed though the concept is nothing new and sensationalism and yellow journalism were just as prominent in the early 1900's.

Sensational delves into the stories often forgotten, or ignored, of women contributing to the literary and journalistic world in the late 1800s and after. These experiences and histories were told in such a way that blended fact with a stronger narration, elevating the text from a mere retelling of what happened through engaging story telling. This book excited and inspired me. It showed me the differences that women have made and the challenges that they have faced in an honest light. I particularly appreciated the accompanying commentary that did not let black women get lost despite history trying to bury their voices. Todd lets us interpret the larger relevance of "stunt" reporters for ourselves, but also makes sure to remind us of the larger structures at play, tying the treatment of women reporters in the past to treatment in more recent history, as with memoirs. This makes a larger commentary on the value of women's stories and voices in the face of a society that diminishes their worth and tries to silence or mock them. I loved it and fully recommend it.

Captivating! These women had moxie, and Todd deftly captures their triumphs and tragedies. This was an ARC.

Sensational! Read all about it! A marvelous education awaits the reader about how women entered the ranks of journalism in the late 1800s. As with every other glass ceiling they shattered, it wasn't easy, and required the shoulders of one before the other.Beginning with the very-well-known Nellie Bly, whose idea of pretending to be insane so that she could get herself committed to an infamous women's insane asylum in NYC, and then write a series about it, was her stepping stone to journalistic fame, the women who follow her, and go right on beside her, are required to do the same as she. That is, to come up with dangerous and outrageous "stunts" (for that is their formal identification: women stunt reporters) in order to get a job in journalism. From working as underpaid servants, signing on in sweatshops, and sailing around the world, they did more than just prove that women could do the job as well as...and oftentimes better than...men, but they made the world a better place at the same time. Working under such famous names as Pulitzer and Hearst, they helped to call attention to bad working conditions, unfair practices, and most important, the value of working women. Only a woman was able to interview the infamous Lizzie Borden, after all. The Women's Pages would never be the same.The "women stunt reporters" fell out of fashion when the Spanish American war began, and every reporter — including many women now – was needed to report on the war. I highly recommend this book for all students of journalism, women's studies, history, and anyone who is interested in what went on in our country in the late 19th, very early 20th centuries.

3.5 rounded up to a 4 here.This might feel like a really niche type of topic for a book, and it kinda is, but it is such a fascinating read that I think anyone who enjoys diving into random topics that cover the history of a certain amount of time and with a certain focus would really like it. The author has taken the time to do an incredible amount of research on 'Girl Stunt Reporters' from the late 19th and early 20th century. Most people are aware of Nellie Bly and the 'stunts' she did as a reporter to make her name and to leave a legacy in journalism, however this book takes a look at about six or seven more women who were also working in the field at the time and doing really impressive things as well as Bly. These women covered topics like abortion access, mistreatment of factory workers, murder trials, wars and so much more working hard to bring information to the masses as well as leave a space for other women in this world for generations to come. I found this really interesting and loved getting to learn about other women in the field of journalism at the time and all that they took on for their articles.

Big thanks to Goodreads for me winning a copy of this book.It was very well done, very readable which if extremely important with history books. Most sections were short enough that I could read the book in bursts at work, but still cohesive enough to flow together well when reading longer amounts of time.I learned a lot reading this. I had not know much before this time about early stunt reporting. I had heard of Nellie Bly before but after the descriptions in this book I really want to go out and find her own writings. I've never made a study of the history of journalism, so I'll take the author's word that these female reporters are not given their due.My one disappointment with the end of the book, which I'm sure the author shares, is that she was not able to identify the Girl Reporter. I'd really hoped for that since the beginning. Alas.If you've any interest in journalism or the late 19th century, go read this book. Congrats to Kim Todd on an excellent and well researched book.

Packed full of stories and details about life as a reporter in the early 1900s. It is at times a little hard to follow as the author switches between life stories of many different female reporters. I would have appreciated more photos or illustrations of the women to help keep them all straight (though I do understand that may not have been available).The section about abortion exposes by female reporters was especially eye-opening. I had no idea white male doctors played such a role in the movement away from mid-wives and doulas, but it makes perfect sense. Definitely worth a read, even for just that portion.The book overall immerses you in the fast-paced often grimy world of newspaper reporting, offering as many details as possible. Women covered stories ranging from worker strikes to natural disasters and it's amazing to realize how for a brief time, there were many women working as reporters in the US.