Speak Up: Breaking the Glass Ceiling at CBS News - Hardcover

by Linda S. Mason (Author), Connie Chung (Foreword by)

Follow one of the first women network news producers as she climbs the career ladder right through the headlines of American history and inspires us all to speak up for ourselves and fight for our own success. From Cuba to Vietnam and to Tiananmen Square, Linda Mason stood side-by-side with CBS news anchors Walter Cronkite, Charles Kuralt, and Dan Rather to bring the world stories of history-in-the-making and smash the glass ceiling of the network news world. As one of the first women to serve as producer for a primetime network news broadcast, Linda Mason blazed a trail of perseverance as she climbed the network ladder. Her list of adventures included taking Dan Rather to Cuba to meet Fidel Castro, taking Rather and General Norman Schwarzkopf to Vietnam to assess the war-torn country 20 years after the end of the war, and witnessing first-hand the protests in China's Tiananmen Square. In writing Speak Up, Mason reflects on her career and the leadership lessons she learned along the way. The formula she shares with all young professionals is simple, but the lessons are timeless: work hard, don't complain, ask questions, and when the time is right, speak up about what is next. Mason followed this formula to great success and looks forward to following the groundbreaking careers of today's professionals throughout media, politics, and in all leadership roles.

Author Biography

In forty-seven years with CBS News, Linda S. Mason rose from desk assistant to senior vice president of standards and special projects. As one of first female producers in broadcast news, she lead teams including Dan Rather, Charles Kuralt, and Walter Cronkite around the world in pursuit of breaking news. While serving as a writer, producer, network representative, and internal program leader, Mason championed professional ethics and diversity initiatives. Over the years, Mason won 13 Emmys, was awarded Brown University's prestigious William Roger's Award, and was inducted into the Deadline Club's Hall of Fame.