Women's History Month 2018: 31 Women of journalism

In the 1700s, Ann Franklin was one of the first women to ever run a colonial newspaper. Franklin was the first woman to be inducted into the Journalism Hall of Fame at the University of Rhode Island.

Barbara Walters made history in 1976 as the first female to co-anchor a network evening news program. Walters worked for the "Today Show" & "20/20," before creating the talk show, "The View."

Brandi Smith of KHOU 11 joined the station in 2017. Smith earned national attention for her reporting during Hurricane Harvey and assisting in the rescue of a stranded truck driver.

Connie Chung's journalism career has spanned major networks including ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN. Chung was the first Asian and second woman to anchor a major American network newscast.

Damali Keith began her career in television reporting in Owensboro, Kentucky and has worked in Indiana and Tennessee. Keith started with FOX 26 in July 2000 and reports during the weekday newscasts.

Diane Sawyer is most known for her work on "ABC World News,” “Good Morning America” and “60 Minutes. She was inducted in the Television Hall of Fame in 1997.

Dominique Sachse graduated from the UH with a degree in journalism before starting her career at KPRC in 1993. As an Emmy-winning journalist, Sachse currently anchors the 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts.

Dorothy Fuldheim started her journalism career at 54 and is credited as the first woman in the U.S. to anchor a news broadcast. Fuldheim is considered the "First Lady of Television News."

Ethel Payne is known as the "First Lady of the Black Press" for her coverage of civil rights. Payne was the first African-American female to be a commentator for a national network.

Erin Andrews graduated in 2000 from the University of Florida with a degree in telecommunications. Andrews is the lead NFL sideline reporter for FOX Sports and co-hosts ABC's "Dancing With The Stars."

Gina Gaston is currently a lead anchor for Houston news station KTRK (ABC13). She started at the station in 1992 and has accumulated various awards in journalism.

Ida B. Wells documented lynching in the U.S. and was a founder of the NAACP. When freed after the Civil War she dedicated her time to writing about women and people color’s struggle with prejudice.

Judy Woodruff is currently the managing editor and lead anchor on the PBS NewsHour. She has covered every presidential election and convention since Jimmy Carter.

Katharine Graham was the first female publisher of a major American newspaper - "The Washington Post" - and the first female Fortune 500 CEO. Graham made the decision to publish the Pentagon Papers.

Katie Couric was the first woman to anchor "CBS Evening News" solo in 2006. Couric has held positions at ABC News, NBC News, CBS News and has hosted her own talk show entitled "Katie."

Lisa Ling got her start at 16 as a co-host for the teen newsmagazine program, "Scratch." Ling was a war correspondent, a co-host on "The View" and now hosts "This Is Lisa Ling" on CNN.

María Elena Salinas started her career at Univision in 1981 and retired in 2017. Salinas has been called the "Voice of Hispanic America" by The New York Times on account of her advocacy journalism.

Maria Menounos was a reporter for Channel One News in college before becoming an "Entertainment Tonight" correspondent. Menounos has worked for "Today," Access Hollywood," and "Extra."

Mary Ann Shadd Cary was an abolitionist who became the first female African-American newspaper editor in North America. Cary was the second African-American woman in the U.S. to earn a law degree.

Mary Garber was a sports journalism pioneer who began her coverage full time in 1946. Although Garber was subjected to being barred from press boxes, her persistence earned her numerous awards.

Megyn Kelly started her career in journalism as an assignment reporter in 2004 before eventually hosting "The Kelly File" on Fox News. Kelly now hosts the daytime talk show "Megyn Kelly TODAY" on NBC.

Melanie Lawson got her start at ABC13 as a general assignments reporter before eventually co-anchoring the 11 a.m. & 5 p.m. newscasts. Lawson was previously an attorney on Wall Street.

Melissa Wilson, an Emmy award winning journalist, is currently the morning news co-anchor for FOX 26 Houston. As a native Texan, Wilson has garnered various awards including the Gracie Award.

Nancy Hicks Maynard was the first African-American female reporter for The New York Times. Maynard would later own her own paper and co-found the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education.

Nellie Bly was a pioneer investigative journalist who was the inspiration for the novel "Around the World in 80 Days." Bly is known for her 1887 undercover reporting at an asylum.

Nora Ephron worked as a reporter for The Washington Post before writing essays for magazines. Ephron later was a novelist and screenwriter, and notably known for films like "Sleepless in Seattle."

Oprah Winfrey started her broadcasting career in Nashville before hosting "A.M. Chicago" - which became "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Winfrey became the first female African-American billionaire in 2003.

Rachel McNeill was born in Jamaica, but grew up watching KPRC when her family moved to Texas. McNeill, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, started working for the station in September 2001.

Robin Roberts was first a sports reporter and anchor at a local station in Mississippi before going on to host ESPN's SportsCenter. Roberts is currently an anchor for Good Morning America on ABC.

Shern-Min Chow worked previously at KTRK and KPRC before joining KHOU 11 News in 1996. Chow currently serves as the co-anchor for "News at Noon" weekdays and reports for KHOU.

Tomi Lahren earned her degree in broadcast journalism and political science in 2014. Lahren is a political commentator and the former host of "Tomi" for TheBlaze network.