Scope and Content Note
The papers of Elissa Blake Free (1955-) span the years 1947-2021, with the bulk of the material dating from 1978 to 2005, and document Free’s career as a television news producer at CBS and The Cable News Network (CNN). The papers are primarily in English and organized alphabetically by subject.
The collection documents broadcast news and the early years of cable news, with files regarding CBS and CNN’s coverage of news events, memoranda and correspondence documenting internal operations, and staff files and employee benefits material. It also contains coverage manuals from CBS and CNN, which serve as the production manuals for each news event and outline the logistics for how a news story or segment developed. Free faced several notable instances of sexism as a female news producer throughout her career, which is reflected in files on her maternity leave from CNN and files related to Hartman v. Albright, a class action sex discrimination lawsuit against the United States Information Agency in which she was awarded damages for their discriminatory hiring practices.
The collection also includes personal correspondence, diaries and reporter’s notebooks, photographs, and invitations and programs from various professional receptions and events.