Nellie Bly

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Nellie Bly

Nellie Bly (pronounced: Nell-ee Bl-eye), born as Elizabeth Jane Cochran (pronounced: El-iz-a-beth Jane Co-ch-ran) on May 5, 1864, was a pioneering American journalist known for her investigative and undercover reporting. She was also a writer, industrialist, and charity worker.

Etymology

The pseudonym "Nellie Bly" was adopted from the title character in the popular song "Nelly Bly" by Stephen Foster. Her real name, Elizabeth Jane Cochran, was given by her parents, Michael Cochran and Mary Jane Cochran.

Related Terms

  • Journalism: The activity or profession of writing for newspapers, magazines, or news websites or preparing news to be broadcast.
  • Investigative Journalism: A form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing.
  • Undercover Reporting: A journalistic technique in which a reporter disguises their true identity or purpose to obtain information.
  • Industrialist: A person involved in the ownership and management of industry.
  • Charity Worker: A person who works for an organization that helps people who are poor, sick, etc.

Career

Nellie Bly started her career at the Pittsburgh Dispatch where she wrote a fiery response to an editorial titled "What Girls Are Good For." Impressed by her passion, the editor offered her a job. It was at this job that she adopted her pen name, Nellie Bly.

Bly later moved to New York City and worked for New York World, where she went undercover in a mental institution to expose the poor conditions and treatment of its patients. Her report, later published as a book called Ten Days in a Mad-House, caused a sensation and brought her lasting fame.

In 1888, Bly suggested to her editor at the New York World that she take a trip around the world, attempting to turn the fictional "Around the World in Eighty Days" into fact for the first time. A year later, at 9:40 a.m. on November 14, 1889, and with two days' notice, she boarded the Augusta Victoria, a steamer of the Hamburg America Line, and began her 24,899-mile journey.

She brought with her the dress she was wearing, a sturdy overcoat, several changes of underwear, and a small travel bag carrying her toiletry essentials. She carried most of her money (£200 in English bank notes and gold, as well as some American currency) in a bag tied around her neck.

Bly successfully completed her trip in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds, setting a new world record.

Death

Nellie Bly died of pneumonia at St. Mark's Hospital in New York City in 1922 at the age of 57.

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski