Nellie Bly, 1890

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“I shall never become a lady in waiting for any man,” a young Elizabeth Cochrane had declared. She refused this vocation, which she deemed to have no real value to a woman, and no impact upon society. The idea of becoming a governess was degrading to Elizabeth; she would not be won over, and began expressing herself through poems and stories when she was a teenager. When she came of age, Elizabeth left the family home and set her sights on becoming a teacher. Unfortunately she ran out of money after her first semester, and was unable to complete her studies. She decided to follow her mother to Pittsburgh, where she would help her to run a boarding house. But one day, when Elizabeth was reading the local paper, an article caught her eye. It was entitled What Girls are Good For. The answer, simply, was housework – according to its author, young women who sought careers were “monstrosities.” Elizabeth was outraged, and felt compelled to pen her own response. In doing so, she had found her vocation. An incensed Elizabeth decided to write to the paper’s editor under the anonymous byline “Lonely Orphan Girl”. The editor was so impressed by the power of her writing that in the next edition he published an ad asking the Lonely Orphan Girl to reveal herself. After careful consideration, Elisabeth decided to contact him. The editor immediately offered her a job at the paper, and it was then that Elizabeth took up the pen name “Nellie Bly.” Her first assignment was to write an article about canned food production. Nellie Bly began her investigation, and in doing so uncovered the miserable conditions in which factory women worked. She expanded her research into some of the country’s biggest factories. The conclusion was damning: the female workforce was being exploited, and paid a mere pittance. The Pittsburgh paper’s sales spiked, but factory owners complained. Just who was this Nellie Bly, and how dare she denounce their working conditions? The paper’s editor found himself coming under fierce pressure from the country’s powerful business magnates. Nellie Bly was reassigned to the society pages, and effectively banned from investigative journalism.

Around this time, both readers and critics were raving about Jules Verne’s new novel Around the World in Eighty Days. Nellie Bly devoured the book, and felt the desire for adventure and adrenaline arise in her. She decided she would take on the novel’s challenge, and attempt to complete her own journey around the world in 80 days just like protagonist Phileas Fogg. With some convincing, she managed to persuade her editor-in-chief to finance the venture, and just seventy-two days later, she made her triumphant return from her world tour. But Nellie Bly did not stop there, and asked to be sent on another trip – this time to Mexico. After a few months of convalescence south of the border, she began to perceive the inequality that pervaded the country. Her acuity and sense of justice could not long remain dormant, and soon she had submitted her first columns denouncing the corruption within the Mexican government, and exposing the violence, exploitation and unfairness within the social system. Elizabeth Cochrane was a provocateur, but Nellie Bly was a fire starter. The journalist found ways to unveil politicians’ most intimate secrets. She was quickly repatriated to the US and once again implored to silence, or at least to focus her attention on more superficial matters. She found herself obliged to cover flower shows and fashion; topics deemed fit for women. For Nellie Bly, this was a bridge too far. She quit her job and left for New York, the beating heart of American journalism. She was certain she would make her way there, but the bosses of the New York papers sent her packing, indignant at the idea of hiring a woman.

Nellie Bly’s next move was to begin interviewing media magnates, and asking them to express their views on the role of women in journalism. The idea was a popular one, and she managed to build a network in the city’s press. But what would truly propel her to the status of a great investigative journalist were the risks she was willing to take in pursuit of her vocation. For the New York World she offered to infiltrate a psychiatric asylum on Blackwell’s Island, posing as an inmate. None could be certain she would ever return from within its walls, but Nellie Bly was never faint-hearted. She began behaving erratically and speaking Spanish. She pretended to have lost her memory, and demanded to be given a gun. She was soon committed, and declared “raving mad” by the doctors who examined her. Her dangerous game was about to bear fruit. Nellie Bly was sent to the hospital on Blackwell’s Island. During her time there she was horrified to witness so many immigrants being beaten and mistreated. The conditions were scandalous – the food was rotten, the buildings were infested and the water was dirty. Certain immigrants were being held there unjustly, or simply because they could not speak English. The cruelty inflicted on the women haunted Nellie Bly. Thanks to her articles, the New York District Court took the authorities to trial, and the Blackwell’s Island facility was tried and convicted. 

Nellie Bly established a new vision of investigative journalism; this pioneer was not the first woman of her age to become a reporter, but she was undoubtedly the most fearless.

Alan Alfredo Geday