Nellie Bly---my hero and inspiration

Nellie Bly, who's real name is Elizabeth Jane Cochran, was a woman of adventure and courage. She stood the test against discrimination while founding investigative journalism for a profession to yet acknowledge women journalists. In 1882, she found her voice which spoke out for women's rights. She wrote a letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch in response to a sexist editorial which stated women are only good for housework. She used the pen name "Lonely Orphan Girl." In response to her letter, the editorialist put a notice asking for "Lonely Orphan Girl" to introduce herself to Pittsburgh Dispatch. The editors were impressed with her writing and she instantly had a job.

As years progressed, she would put her life in danger for controversial stories.  She was an activist who went undercover to expose situations that were harmful to society. For instance, she went undercover in a factory to expose the child maltreatment and abuse of the child labour. These children, many very young,  were working for low wages and in unsafe working conditions. She was interested in how these social problems could be solved to better our society as a whole, and this has made a difference in our world.

Joseph Pulitzer, editor and publisher of New York World, became interested in Nellie Bly's writing after Bly returned from Mexico. She had gone to Mexico with her mother to write of poverty and how their conditions may be improved. However, she was asked to leave Mexico when the country had found her writing to be controversial.

Pulitzer wanted her to continue her investigative journalism with New York World and asked Bly to write about the poverty conditions in New York.   Bly went under cover in an insane asylum to discover the patients were being fed vermin-infested food and were abused by the staff members. It must have been exhilarating for her to expose these individuals and feel as if she was saving lives. Much like her work in the factory, Bly was solving a social issue and trying to better the society. If we had more reporters such as her today, the world would be much better to live in.

The most exciting part of Bly's career from my viewpoint is when New York World sponsored her to conquer the globe in 80 days. She set sail on the mission to set a new record above Jules Vernes novel. She raced against Elizabeth Bisland of Cosmopolitan, but Bly achieved the new record. She returned to American soil in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 4 seconds.

She never let anyone get in her way. She never backed down from a story. She stood firm to her beliefs, which made her a remarkable journalist of her time. She lived at a time when women's rights were just becoming a matter of justice, and she stood proud to join the fight. She will never be forgotten as one of the women who paved the way for so many women. We would not have the courage if she had not shown us the way, so thanks Nellie Bly.