There are few American journalists more revered than Lesley Stahl. Loyal viewers of 60 Minutes have seen her in action for decades, but there's still plenty about her life that most people probably don't know. Keep watching to discover the truth about Lesley Stahl.

When Lesley Stahl began her career working as a reporter for a Boston TV station in the early 70s, the notion of a female journalist was still seen as something of a novelty. But that didn't hold her back. When she learned that all three American networks were seeking women for their news divisions thanks to affirmative action programs encouraging employers to hire women and minorities, she jumped at the opportunity.

In 2017, Stahl told the Detroit Free Press,

"I was definitely, positively, no mistake about it, hired because of affirmative action [...] It was clear what they were doing, and in fact, the affirmative action hires were really brought in as apprentices. I was hired to work in the Washington bureau with Bernie Shaw and Connie Chung. We called ourselves the affirmative-action babies."

According to Stahl, she and her female colleagues never felt resentful. Instead, as she admitted,

"We were just happy to be in the door."

There were some indignities along the way, though, like the women being given children-size desks, for example. But Stahl nevertheless felt supported. As she put it,

"I felt that my bosses wanted us to succeed and they put some effort into bringing us along and helping us. I really felt they wanted me to make it. I didn’t feel anybody was out to put me down."

Watch the video for more details revealed about Lesley Stahl.

#LesleyStahl #Journalist #60Minutes

Affirmative action baby | 0:00

Feminist sacrifices | 1:34

Ongoing gender inequality | 2:20

Battling for her husband | 3:12

Pay cut request | 4:34

Grandma Lesley | 5:33

Lesley the Trekkie? | 6:49

Grappling with COVID-19 | 8:00

Unforgettable interviews | 9:05

Dangerous interview | 10:21