WASHINGTON 

Barbara Walters, a prominent US television journalist has died, ABC News announced Friday. She was 93. 

Walters joined ABC News in 1976 and was a news broadcaster and longtime anchor and correspondent.

BREAKING: Barbara Walters, who shattered the glass ceiling and became a dominant force in an industry once dominated by men, has died. She was 93. https://t.co/tydwREgTb2 pic.twitter.com/b4jOEHVYFE

— ABC News (@ABC) December 31, 2022

"Barbara was a true legend, a pioneer not just for women in journalism but for journalism itself," Bob Iger, the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement. 

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC News.

"She was a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state to the biggest celebrities and sports icons," he said.

According to CNN, which cited her spokeswoman, Cindi Berger, "Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones."

"She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists but for all women," Berger told CNN in a statement.

The American journalist is known for her effective technique in interviews of world-renowned figures, according to Britannica.

ABC News said Walters was the first female anchor on an evening news program.

She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York in 1951 and served as assistant to the publicity director for New York City’s NBC-affiliated television station, where her experience in writing and producing for television stepped up.

During her career, she won 12 Emmy awards, 11 while at ABC News, said the network.

Walters was born in Boston, Massachusetts.