Nellie Bly, My Hero
How one journalist can make a difference.
Elizabeth Cochrane appeared to be a frail girl, but inside of her was a will of iron. After taking up the pen name Nellie Bly at age 18, she started out her career writing for The Dispatch, a Pittsburgh newspaper. She covered controversial issues at the end of the 19th century like divorce, worker’s rights, and the treatment of the mentally ill.
Nellie Bly wasn’t afraid to go behind the scenes as a female reporter, and is one of my heroes. I feel that Nellie Bly is a true example of two main things.
The first is to not judge a book by it’s cover. Even though she appeared to be a delicate young lady, she proved that she was stronger and smarter than many of the male reporters of the time.
Since I’ve been stereotyped for my looks, I always love to learn about women in history who have proved that women can be both pretty, strong, and smart at the same time. It helps feed my courage to do the same.
Bly is also a good example of someone who really took a stand for something she believed in. She took it upon herself to further investigate terrible and gruesome issues. Although at times she was asked to back down, Bly never gave up.
I truly feel this is an amazing thing to do, especially since women were often made to feel like they had no power to change anything. Through her hard work and courage, Nellie Bly was able to do great things and raise awareness for many controversial causes. It’s no wonder the The New York Journal called her the “best reporter in America.” And adding to that, she will always be someone who inspires me.
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