Ethel Lois Payne (August 14, 1911 – May 29, 1991) was an African-American journalist. Known as the "First Lady of the Black Press," she was a columnist, lecturer, and freelance writer. She combined advocacy with journalism as she reported on the Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s and 1960s, and was known for asking questions others dared not ask. First published in The Chicago Defender in 1950, she worked for that paper through the 1970s, becoming the paper's Washington correspondent and editor for a period of about 20 years. She became the first female African-American commentator employed by a national network when CBS hired her in 1972. In addition to her reporting of American domestic politics, she also covered international stories, working as a syndicated columnist.