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EOTO: Nellie Bly

 Nellie Bly

One of the most significant women to have influenced the journalism community, here's why.

Nelly Bly, recolorized

Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth James Cochran in May of 1864. Nellie was an investigative journalist that focused heavily on insane asylums and international travel. Working at New York World as one of the leading journalists in the country at the time, Nellie expressed interest in other genres of writing then what she reported on.

In 1887, Nellie wanted to write about the immigrant experience in the United States. However, her editor declined that story idea and suggested she investigate one of New York's most notorious mental hospitals.

Nellie not only accepted this challenge, but she dove head first into the world of exposing the true reality of the mental health world at that time. Nellie exposed patient care, neglect in hospitals, and all-around liabilities she witnessed.

This courageous act to delve into a world seemingly unknown, was what propelled Nellie on her track to be one of the most famous women in journalism ever.

Before her rise to respect in the world of writing, Nellie was unable to finish her educations due to a lack of money when she was younger. Because of this, Nellie worked alongside her mom at a local boardinghouse. 

One day while Nellie was working at the boarding house, she became irritated with a particular newspapers negative portrayal of women, and decided to write a letter to the editor. Shocked, the editor printed her response, and offered Nellie a job as a columnist. Thus, she took the name Nellie Bly. And, although Nellie was a very popular columnist from the start, she was often asked to write addressing women. 

Nellie wanted more serous work where should could be free to address anyone, so she moved to New York and began her career as a journalist there.

Realizing it was quite hard to find work as a woman at the time, especially in this field, Nellie pretended to be mentally ill and stays in a mental facility for a number of days. Her work detailing the horrors and reality she witnessed, was published in a six-part story.

Nellie was unable to uncover the horrible truths of the mental health facility. Ending up in a higher security ward, Nellie reported that the ward was only built to hold 1,000 patients but at the time of her arrival in 1887, there were almost 1,600 patients. 

Not only the overcrowding was an issue, but patients were also forced to eat spoiled food and live in poor conditions. Patients were forced to take ie cold baths, then sit in their wet clothes for hours causing illnesses. Nellie also reported significant amounts of violence and threats of sexual assault if the patients did not cooperate.

Nellie's findings went further. She declared her fellow patients as sane, and in fact, not crazy at all. She hypothesized that the majority of them were immigrants that unfortunately were caught up in a legal system they simply could not understand. 

Nellie Bly was unafraid to make waves in the world. The bravery and raw talent she possessed to expose the truth propelled her into history as one of the most respected names in journalism. Nellie Bly paved the way for the future female journalists, like me, to break all the glass ceilings she did, too. 

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