Nellie Bly (1864-1922)
Did you know this woman that once faked insanity to expose the truth? This is Nellie Bly, a pioneer of journalism who redefined the limits of what women are capable of. Born as Elisabeth Jane Cochran in 1864, she grew up in Pennsylvania. When her father passed, her family got poor, so she quit school to look for a job. It was hard for her to find work, because she was a woman. At 21, she responded to a sexist article in the newspaper, which got her a job offer because they saw journalistic potential in her. In 1887, working for another newspaper, Nellie pulled a daring stunt. She went undercover as a patient in a New York mental asylum to expose its horrors. She uncovered shocking stuff like abuse and corruption. Thanks to her work, mental health care found a way to reform. Her boldness also set a standard for a new method of investigative journalism. In 1889, inspired by Jules Vernes’ novel: ‘Around the World in 80 Days’, she went on a trip around the world,...
