Nellie Bly and The Blackwell Island Insane Asylum

In this episode of Storyteller, Courtney and Teresa dive into the daring true story of Nellie Bly—the 23-year-old journalist who faked insanity to go undercover inside New York City’s notorious Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum in 1887.

What began as whispers of abuse, neglect, and overcrowding turned into one of the most groundbreaking investigations in American journalism. Listeners will follow Nellie’s bold decision to shed her identity, her harrowing experiences inside the asylum, and the shocking conditions she uncovered—from rotting food and freezing baths to women wrongfully imprisoned simply for being poor or unable to speak English.

Along the way, we explore Nellie Bly’s path from Elizabeth Jane Cochrane of Pennsylvania to one of the first women to break into serious investigative reporting. We’ll uncover how her exposé Inside the Madhouse not only forced reforms at Blackwell’s but also reshaped public understanding of mental health care, corruption, and the power of journalism itself.

From her fearless undercover work to her record-setting journey around the world, Nellie Bly’s story is one of bravery, persistence, and unapologetic defiance.

Step into 1887 with us and discover how one young woman risked everything to change the world—one story at a time.