Journalists have had an active role in defining American history through their coverage of current events. Ida Tarbell, Nellie Bly, and Ethel Payne all contributed to the field of journalism by providing social commentary on major political and social events and reporting on controversial topics.
These women’s stamps were designed by Fred Otnes for the Women in Journalism Issue. The stamps were issued in Fort Worth, Texas, at a meeting of the National Convention of Professional Journalists. The Ida Tarbell stamp contains her picture, and to the right of it has the McClure’s heading and her article headline, “The History of the Standard Oil Company,” from the 1902 November issue. The Nellie Bly stamp contains an 1890 black and white photograph of Bly, and to the left of her picture is a portion of the nameplate of The World from January 20, 1890. The Ethel L. Payne stamp has her picture and to the right of it is a headline for her article “The Alabama Bus Boycott,” that appeared in the Chicago Defender on February 18, 1956.
