NBC Jessica Savitch obituary - NBC Nightly News, 10/24/1983

[tahoeskiier]

She looks old for 35

[bwhitcomb2011]

Of course, Savitch was also an alcoholic, but what journalist isn't?

[kittyscratchesboo]

If it had only remained as few women on the news, then, I could understand. Now, there are far too many women on the news, far too many female doctors, and none of them know what the hell they are talking about.

[brithgob]

I applaud the trail she blazed... I'm just puzzled at how it was someone with a speech impediment who did so well. Oh, wait, same network as Brokaw, never mind. ;)

[Blurgle3]

Jessica's death was caused by a poorly lit unmarked road that ran right to the edge of a canal, with no barrier and no warning. Her estate sued the entity responsible for the road and won a large settlement. Also dying in the crash was her beloved dog Chewy.

[dyinglikeflies]

I casually knew a friend of hers who worked at NBC too. Lots of jealousy there.There was a Savitch camp and a Jane Pauley camp, for and against each. Connie Chung came around then or after. Women journalists there were always sniping about how the others lacked "real journalistic credentials." Ironic-now it's all about Q ratings and nobody gives a crap about credentials. It was actually all about Q then too for women, but nobody would admit it.

[Blurgle3]

@dyinglikeflies The sad part was, it was only about Q for women, but for men it was about hard work, talent, and ability.

[dyinglikeflies]

@Blurgle3 Now it's about Q for men also. Peter Jennings was no journalistic heavyweight-my guess is he was the model for the guy played by William Hurt in Broadcast News.

[pepjrp]

@dyinglikeflies That is very interesting and informative. Thanks. I found it so interesting as Ms. Savitch states in this video that those jealousies are myths... but most of us who has been around know examples of many of them being all too true. I guess insisting that they are myths help their ideology.

[yogafan6500]

A tragic loss of a very beautiful woman like Jessica Savitch. She'll be missed by her news fans. We love you Jessica.

[Snickers1967]

I Love You Jessica Your The Best!

[smithdsmit]

this was when they actually reported news.Now we just get a bunch of stories about fashion and celebrities.Oh and of coarse of steady dose of propaganda to scare us into giving up our liberties and to justify wars.I miss the old days.I really liked actually being informed.remeber the golf war?almost non stop coverage.How many news stories have you seen on iraq and afgahnistan?Not many at all.I know more about octamom then whats going on in 2 wars we have been at for almost 10 yrs.

[uzimodem]

this was before PMSNBC, Shultz, Odonnel and Al Sharpton. my how far NBC has fallen.

[MaidenUtah1]

Hey Tom, was her "friend" by any chance Gerald Fffffaaawrd?

[JugheadObama]

@MaidenUtah1 Beat me to it. Eaten by wolves.

[somewhatlongdong]

She died FAR too young.

[PatrioticPirate]

Oh my GOD... I never knew what happened to her. I remember her from when I was a kid- I just looked up and she wasn't on TV anymore.

RIP

[corrupt200]

I thought her year of birth was 1947

[catawba909]

did he mean to say 45yrs old?

[mst3kanita]

Keep in mind, she did do drugs in the years before her death, and her second husband killed himself, that will drastically age anybody.

[FrightwoIf]

She sure doesn't LOOK 35. My guess is that she's really 42 but somewhere told a lie about it and couldn't back out of it. So much for women "changing" their myths. If she was on Fox News, they'd fire her for not being YOUNG enough or BLONDE enough!

[xprezeu]

She was murdered.

[AllPro777]

She looked a lot older than her age. They say 35 here, but she could've easily passed for being in her 50's.

Damn, white women REALLY age badly.

[monoceros1222]

@AllPro777 I actually thought she was very hot looking, but most of all a pleasure to listen to. She was beautiful in her early years, but as someone else here commented, she got into drugs, had a lot of man problems and some career problems; I think she got really stressed out and it aged her.

[djbeilstein35]

If it was a her looks - somebody turns out to be misplaced.

[emmers57]

I remember long after she died barbra walters discussing her and I got the impression Savich was hired for her looks rather than he brain.

[dshmechanic]

Not only was their earth's rotation direction wrong, but so was their birth year and death age in this report. She was born in February of 1947, which would have made her 36. In any event, I sure do miss her...she was top notch, and a looker to boot!

[tomservo56954]

@dshmechanic Savitch claimed to be a year younger than she was, so the numbers aren't the network's fault.

[themostrandomchick24]

I wondered why her name sounded so familiar for a while before I looked her up on Wikipedia and remembered there was a Lifetime TV movie made as her biography.

[tomservo56954]

@themostrandomchick24 Yes, the one based on the ALMOST GOLDEN biography. One of the Lifetime VPs at the time was Savitch's college roommate. The other book about her, GOLDENGIRL became the Michelle Pfeiffer film UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL, but it ended up being totally fictionalized, because they couldn't deal with Savitch's less than pleasant issues--drug use, a dysfunctional unto abusive relationship with her mentor/boyfriend, claims of lesbian involvements.

[NotsoNutso]

I was almost 25 when she died.  Still remember the People Magazine cover story on her.

[FloridaRaider]

She died a painful death, stuck in the mud..suffocating.

[Chubachus]

rip

[globehunter2]

To be a woman in a mans world is a cruel addition to survival! females

still have to work harder and take home less pay for the same job.

[MrMferg240]

@globehunter2 and men still die younger than woman, men were the only one's who were drafted and died in the battlefields so to appease you're ''cruel victimization'' in a mans world. woman got custody of the children 99.9% of the time in courts while they only deemed a father as a ''financial'' figure instead of a ''father'' figure, while telling their children how ''daddy'' doesn't love them anymore. yeah, woman are all angels.

[snoops71]

This is actually pretty pathetic. This was their colleague for the past 6 years, and THIS is the tribute she gets?? First, they get her birth year and age wrong, then it's only about a good minute long. No footage of her anchoring the news, or covering the political conventions. This shows what they thought of her, and the little respect NBC had for her.

[GFI888]

@snoops71 , exactly what I was thinking.

[monoceros1222]

@snoops71 Actually, the tragic bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 servicemen, had occurred JUST THE DAY BEFORE, so that story probably dominated all coverage on 10/24. There probably wasn't time to put together or air a topnotch obituary.

[lianlaspinas]

She is the substitute anchors when T. Brokaw was on vacation, is off, or out of the country.

[sandinyourshoes]

Damn! Didn't Brokaw ever go to the barber shop!

[DickieAnginson]

I always thought Jessica looked like actress Lisa Hartman. The 1996 Michelle Pfeiffer film "Up Close & Personal" was loosely based on Jessica's life.

[calalilygirl]

Jessica was 36 when she died, born Feb 1, 1947.

[StukInBuf]

@calalilygirl And she'd by 63 or so by now.

[bulafritz]

Ew I would never go to a woman doctor. I think women should stay home and do the cooking and cleaning. Maybe fetch me a beer. Sarah Palin is dumber than a bag of rocks!

[blossom114]

@bulafritz while I agree Sarah Palin is not the smartest tool in the shed, you're about as big of a dumbass as she is.

[blossom114]

@bulafritz Actually, let me rephrase that, you're a bigger dumbass than she is.

[snoops71]

@bulafritz Really? So all women can do is cook and clean? And maybe fetch you a beer. Sarah Palin may not be too bright, but a lot of other women are.

[susdgree]

This is a dedication to a woman's life who has passed away. Not a debate on who is better her or Sarah Palin. People are so disrespectful it's disgusting. Show some respect and while you are at it, show some class.

[calalilygirl]

Jess was totally right about everything she said here. She looked beautiful in the interview. She is THE one that really opened the door for the beautiful woman delivering the news. She started it all.

[afkokjjopjihuhbuihb]

@calalilygirl I wouldn't say that is a good thing. We have an endless line of news bimbos. Jessica Savitch may not have been that but she had myriad of personal problems.

[corfan99]

This was before NBC corrected the direction of the earth's rotation.

As seen here sun rises in the west.

[RailPhotographer]

@corfan99 The original animation was supposed to show the Earth from the vantage point of a space shuttle orbiting against the direction of the planet's rotation.

[jupitr2]

@corfan99 Hard to believe that the graphics/animation company that NBC hired didn't bother to even think about it. Better to get it right the first time than to be asked by your customer (NBC!) to correct it. Bet they lost THAT account!

[SecsSells]

@corfan99 Good eye!

[rhd1974]

Only 35 when she died. Wow!

[msjosephine2]

Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story, some one should upload this movie it was very good.

[tomservo56954]

@msjosephine2 Even those who weren't keen on the film loved Sela Ward's performance as Savtich...she earned an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe award for it.

[moviedudeinc]

@msjosephine2 I do agree that someone should post the film on youtube but does it feature the death of her like they actually show how it happend? just curious.

[msjosephine2]

@moviedudeinc Out of the blue I caught it on tv the other day, the cause of death was her car being driven by a friend on a rainy night slid into a canal and they drowned. There was no drugs or alcohol in blood test for either of them.

[socialmedic]

I wonder how she would explain women's support of Sarah Palin. I am sure she rolls over in her grave every time that woman appears in public.

[MsJourneyfan]

@socialmedic 2 thumbs up for that! I couldn't agree with you more!

[drmagic]

@socialmedic at least Sarah Palin isn't a pill-popping degenerate like Jessica Savitch was...

[socialmedic]

@drmagic Jessica Savitch could have been a heroine addict and she would have still been a better human being and news reporter than that corrupt, dishonest, lying, thieving, murdering, NAZI, fascist, media whore, named Sarah Palin.

[kewanw16]

@socialmedic You got a lot of fucking balls you know that ?!

[socialmedic]

@kewanw16 socialmedic smiles

[bubblinbrownsugar616]

@socialmedic LOL!! Wow! XD

[glimmer2158]

"Women can't read the news!" - ron burgundy

[ImCKJ]

I remember always turning the TV to NBC just to watch her do the News Digest, because I was so struck by her good looks. I was in my teen years then, and I would fantasize about going on a date with her. This was back before I ever had a date.

I did have the good fortune of obtaining an autographed copy of her book, "Anchorwoman". No doubt, there will never be another like her.

[Crommy5]

Only 35? She looked and acted so much more mature than that.

[SIGNALSTAT]

Jessica was a great news women she just had alot of problems going on.wish she could have gotten help.the people at nbc gave her a hard time in her last months and also jessica was worried about being replaced with a new women named connie chung.but really nbc should have gave her more than a minute.what a loss of a great person.oct23.1983 new hope pa she drowned in the delaware river .

[tomservo56954]

@SIGNALSTAT Savitch's friends were planning to stage what we now call an intervention to help her, but she was killed before they could do so.

[jaynix]

Can't believe they barely gave her a over a minute for her obit.

[TheOusooner56]

@jaynix different times back then, i guess..

[wtf66611]

She was sooo pretty.