Journalist Susan Stamberg, NPR's "founding mother" and the first American woman to anchor a nightly news program, has died. She was 87.

NPR announced the former "All Things Considered" cohost's death on Thursday, Oct. 16, calling Stamberg "a mentor, a matchmaker, a founding mother — always tough, and always true to herself."

Stamberg's son, "WandaVision" actor Josh Stamberg, said in a statement to the outlet: "A true humanitarian, she believed in the power of great journalism. Her life's work was connection, through ideas and culture."

Born Susan Levitt in Newark, New Jersey, the radio journalist worked at WAMU in Washington, D.C. as a producer and had brief stints as the "weather girl" before getting hired at NPR. Her first job was to cut audiotape "with a single-sided razor blade," before the network's broadcast debut. She went on to become a producer at the public radio network's flagship program, serving as cohost from 1972 to 1986 during a time of few opportunities for female broadcast journalists, let alone a Jewish woman with a heavy New York accent.

Former colleague and "All Things Considered" producer Jack Mitchell recalled this making NPR leadership nervous over how Stamberg would play on Midwest stations.

"They, for instance, said, 'too New York.' And the president of NPR asked that I not put her in there for those — because of the complaints from managers," Mitchell told the network. "We did it anyway and he was very supportive afterwards."

She would host "Weekend Edition Sunday" from 1987 to 1989 and go on to serve as a special correspondent for NPR. She also guest-hosted episodes of "Morning Edition," "Weekend Edition Saturday" and "Weekly Edition." Stamberg retired in September.

She famously interviewed Fred Rogers several times, faced director Elia Kazan over his controversial 1952 testimony during the Red Scare and was known for regularly sharing her mother-in-law's "cranberry relish" recipe with everyone from White House chefs to Coolio.

Known for leaning into cultural journalism amid more politically-minded broadcasters (fellow "founding mother" Linda Wertheimer told NPR that Stamberg found politics to be "the most boring thing imaginable"), Stamberg leaves "a legacy both as an unabashed truth teller and a spinner of stories."

"She saw cultural journalism as a respite from news, but also brought a seriousness of purpose to it," the network said. "She believed listeners' relationship with culture, high and low, defined how they experienced the world around them."

Susan Stamberg cranberry relish recipe

Essentially an eclectic version of cranberry sauce, Stamberg and her mother-in-law, Mama Stamberg, shared this recipe for cranberry relish, as heard on "Morning Edition":

  • 2 cups whole raw cranberries, washed
  • 1 small onion
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons horseradish from a jar (preferably red, as it's "a bit milder than white")

Grind the raw cranberries and onion together. "I use an old-fashioned meat grinder. I'm sure there's a setting on the food processor that will give you a chunky grind — not a puree," Stamberg said. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix, put it in a plastic container and freeze and thaw the following morning in the refrigerator.

Stamberg added: "The relish will be thick, creamy and shocking pink. (OK, Pepto-Bismol pink.) It has a tangy taste that cuts through and perks up the turkey and gravy. It's also good on next-day turkey sandwiches, and with roast beef."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Susan Stamberg, NPR's first US woman to anchor a nightly news show, dies at 87

Reporting by Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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