It would appear that Oprah knew quite early in life that she had a genuine gift of the gab. The dictionary defines a “conversationalist” as a person who enjoys and contributes to good conversation; an interesting person in conversation. This is Oprah! She had the interest to be on television. After high school, Oprah was awarded a full scholarship to Tennessee State University. However, she withdrew after a year to pursue a career in media. Oprah’s first job on television came when at age 20, she became the first black female news anchor in Nashville. Her next opportunity was in Baltimore where she was co-anchor. Less than a year into it, she was fired but soon after landed a job hosting a struggling morning talk show in Chicago appropriately named AM Chicago. Within a few months, Ms. Winfrey turned AM Chicago from the lowest-rated talk show in Chicago to the highest-rated. She was finally coming into her own as a talk show host. Three years later the show would be renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show.

The Oprah Winfrey Show aired its first episode on September 8, 1986. The show ran for 25 seasons. Oprah had the instinct to know what topics would interest her diverse audience, and as the perfect conversationalist, she knew how to explore a topic using her guests, invited experts, and the audience. Her audience felt like it was their life story being told, and you could see the nodding of heads, the laughter, and the tears. Winfrey’s personal and engaging approach to interviewing guests touched a chord in American homes. Oprah tackled stories ranging from infidelity, sexual abuse, child trafficking, and postpartum depression to racism. There were also positive stories of overcoming the odds and “how-to” stories for achieving career success, marital bliss, a good education, and strong friendships. To say that Oprah was and still is the ultimate communicator is an understatement. She uses emotion, passion, criticism, rationale, and energy to tell a story that captivates her audiences like no one can. Viewers and guests found Oprah to be sympathetic, empathetic, and enlightening, qualities that endeared her to millions. Guests often found themselves revealing things they never imagined telling anyone, much less a national TV audience.

Oprah believes in her power to inspire and motivate others. Her message of positivity and self-improvement has captured the interests of millions of Americans of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. She wants her loyal followers to follow their bliss and be the best they can be. Using her own life as an example, Oprah explains that she does not see herself “as a poor, deprived ghetto girl who made good but rather as somebody who from an early age knew she was responsible for herself—and had to make good.”

She made a strategic move in 1986 when she formed Harpo (“Oprah” spelled backward) Productions Inc. She executed the strategy a couple of years later by purchasing a state-of-the-art production studio in Chicago and then taking over ownership and production of The Oprah Winfrey Show. The move made her only the third woman in history to own and produce her own show as well as the first African American, male or female, to own her own entertainment production company. The “Oprah Effect,” a term coined to describe the power of Oprah’s opinions and endorsements to influence public opinion, was well known. Anything she endorses or mentions in a favorable light becomes an instant bestseller in its category. Her influence is unparalleled. She also published her own magazine, The Oprah Magazine; started a radio channel, Oprah Radio; and most recently collaborated with Discovery Communications to launch a cable channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network.[ii]

Oprah has also been involved in films, television series, and plays. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1985 drama The Color Purple. In 2015, she produced and started the film, Selma. The movie chronicles Martin Luther King Jr.'s march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. The film was nominated for Best Picture.

By any objective measure, Oprah is quite possibly the most influential woman in the world. In 2013, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by President Barack Obama. That same year, she also received an honorary doctorate degree from Harvard. Oprah was ranked the richest African American of the 20th century. Winfrey has been featured in TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people on an impressive 10 occasions. Forbes magazine estimates that Oprah’s net worth is about $3 billion and so far, she is the only black woman on the publication's list of the 400 richest people in America.

Former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley renamed the blocks in front of Harpo Studios “Oprah Winfrey Way.” Now 63, Winfrey has a lifestyle that she could only have dreamed of during her traumatic childhood. Her accomplishments as a global media leader and philanthropist have made her one of the most respected and admired public figures today.

Required

Assess Oprah’s attitude, self-concept, values, and ethics.

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