Liz Smith

Mary Elizabeth Smith, born on February 2, 1923, in Fort Worth, Texas, embarked on a multifaceted career in journalism that spanned over six decades. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a journalism degree in 1949, she moved to New York City. Her early career involved various foundational roles such as typist, proofreader, and reporter, before she found her footing in media as a news producer for Mike Wallace at CBS Radio and later spent five years as a news producer for NBC-TV. She also contributed to “Candid Camera” alongside Allen Funt. In the late 1950s, Smith gained early recognition as a ghostwriter for the syndicated “Cholly Knickerbocker” gossip column for Hearst newspapers. She further expanded her influence in the 1960s and early 1970s as the esteemed entertainment editor for both Cosmopolitan and Sports Illustrated magazines, demonstrating her versatility across different media platforms.

Smith’s career reached a significant turning point in 1976 when she launched her self-titled gossip column for the New York Daily News. This column quickly became syndicated to numerous newspapers nationwide. During the 1978 New York City newspaper strike, her editors at the Daily News encouraged her to appear daily on WNBC-TV’s “Live at Five,” a role she maintained for eleven years. This television exposure elevated her public profile, making her a regular figure in Manhattan’s social circles and providing ample material for her widely read column, which at its peak was syndicated in nearly seventy newspapers. In 1985, she earned an Emmy Award for her reporting on “Live at Five.” Smith was also instrumental in developing a talk show for Fox Broadcasting Company alongside Barry Diller and Rupert Murdoch, with Roger Ailes as her producer. Her impactful work led her to become one of the highest-paid print journalists in the United States, further cementing her status as a media icon.