Get Real With Robin!

Ep. 37 Breaking the glass ceiling with legendary SHERO Mary Jo West

Co-Host Mary Jo West

Mary Jo West has been called "the First Lady of TV News in Phoenix." She became the first prime time anchorwoman in Phoenix in 1976, thus opening the door for women who followed in her footsteps.

Being a trailblazer in the field was not easy as she dealt with a male co-anchor who saw the newsroom as a “man’s domain” and wasn’t pleased that she would be sharing his anchor desk. But she was determined to be more than just an arm decoration. She wanted to talk about issues that were vital and to report stories of substance. She was the first woman to go into the Arizona State Prison in Florence and interview inmates for her documentary on sexual assault, for which she won a Rocky Mountain Emmy.

Having won the Peabody, two Rocky Mountain Emmys, 13 Arizona Press Club awards, and the national "Gracie Allen Award" from American Women in Radio and TV, she was the first news woman inducted into the Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The City of Phoenix honored her with the Martin Luther King Living the Dream Award for her work fighting discrimination against the mentally ill.