author
Nellie Bly
1864–1922
A fearless reporter who helped invent investigative journalism, she became famous for exposing abuse inside a New York asylum and for racing around the world in 72 days. Her work mixed daring adventure with a sharp sense of justice, and it still feels startlingly modern.
3 Audiobooks
About the author
Born Elizabeth Jane Cochran in Pennsylvania in 1864, Nellie Bly built her career by refusing to stay quiet. She first drew notice after writing a response to a newspaper column that belittled women, and that led to reporting work that soon set her apart for its energy and boldness.
She became best known at the New York World, where she went undercover at the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island and revealed shocking conditions in a series later collected as Ten Days in a Mad-House. In 1889 and 1890, she took on another public challenge by traveling around the world in 72 days, turning herself into an international celebrity and proving that women reporters could tackle the biggest stories of the age.
Later in life, she also worked in business after marrying manufacturer Robert Seaman, and she eventually returned to journalism. When she died in 1922, she left behind a legacy of adventurous reporting, firsthand investigation, and a style of journalism that opened doors for generations of women who followed.