Abstract: Through the professional trajectories of American women journalists and their investigative reporting practices from the late 19th to early 20th century, this study reveals the professional ethos and competencies inherent in women's engagement with investigative journalism. Their breakthrough of gender discrimination and institutional barriers-evolving from restrictive “soft news” assignments to gradual access to the “hard news” domain long monopolized by male peers-exemplifies a transformative process. Anchored in the reciprocal interplay between American journalism and societal trends, this evolution not only advanced social progress and secured collective recognition for women journalists but also fundamentally restructured the gender dynamics and renewed the media ecology of American journalism. The historical narratives of these women journalists offer profound insights into the professional development of female journalists globally, while simultaneously enriching global journalism studies with interdisciplinary and intersectional perspectives.