An African American woman born to humble beginnings, she started as a Baltimorenews anchor. In 1986, her local Chicago daytime talk show, called The Oprah Winfrey Show (and later abbreviated to Oprah), debuted nationally. Originally, the show followed traditional talk show formats. By the mid 1990s, however, the format became more serious, addressing issues that Winfrey thought were of direct importance and of crucial consequence to women. Winfrey began to do a lot of charity work, and her show featured people suffering from poverty or the victims of unfortunate accidents.
Winfrey has often discussed openly various aspects of her life, including those more unpleasant ones, with the media, including a sexually abusive childhood and a problem with drugs as an adult. Her own weight fluctuations have caused her to be considered a weight-loss guru. In the late 1990s, Winfrey introduced her book club on television. Whenever Winfrey introduced a new book as her book-club selection, the book almost instantly became a best-seller, a powerful demonstration of Winfrey's influence.
TV_oprah_with_michael_jackson_February_10_1993_.jpg of perishable food" and "business disparagement", claiming that Winfrey's remarks subsequently sent cattle prices tumbling, costing beef producers some $12 million. After a trial spanning over two months in a court in the thick of Texas cattle country, the jury found on February 26 that Oprah was not guilty, did not act with malice, and was not liable for damages. After the trial, Oprah received a postcard from Rosie O'Donnell reading, "Congratulations, you beat the meat!"
Winfrey recently made a deal to extend her show until the 2010-2011 season, by which time it will have been on the air twenty-five years. She also plans to host 140 episodes per season, until her final season, when it will return to its current number, 130.[http://thecelebritycafe.com/features/1724.html]
Criticism
Oprah Winfrey has been criticized by conservatives for allegedly championing liberal causes. One critic, Myrna Blyth, editor-in-chief of ''Ladies' Home Journal magazine from 1981 to 2002, charges in her book Spin Sisters: How the Women of the Media Sell Unhappiness— and Liberalism—to the Women of America'', that the "elite women of media" allegedly sell unhappiness to women and tout false advice when in contrary women's life has been getting better lately than ever.[http://www.700club.com/cbnnews/news/040423a.asp]