Betsy West

Betsy West is a renowned documentary filmmaker and the Fred W. Friendly Professor at Columbia Journalism School.

She co-directed and produced the acclaimed film RBG, showcasing at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018 and later released nationwide. West is actively involved in teaching video and documentary classes at Columbia alongside her colleague Lisa Cohen.

Apart from her work at Columbia, she has been instrumental in producing impactful documentaries such as The Lavender Scare, shedding light on the U.S. government's persecution of LGBT individuals.

With a rich background in journalism, Betsy West's career spans various roles at major news networks like ABC and CBS, earning her prestigious awards including 21 Emmys. Noteworthy projects include overseeing 60 Minutes and 48 Hours at CBS News and executive-producing the acclaimed 9/11 documentary.

After her tenure in mainstream journalism, she teamed up with her husband in Storyville Films and ventured into producing theatrical documentaries like Constantine's Sword.

West has also been involved in chronicling the modern women's movement, which culminated in the establishment of the online archive MAKERS, capturing stories of influential women like Gloria Steinem and Hillary Clinton. Her involvement in the documentary MAKERS: Women Who Make America further highlights her commitment to sharing impactful narratives.

Her educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in English and Film from Brown University and a Master's in Communications from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.