Letty Cottin Pogrebin, a founding editor of Ms magazine, has paid tribute to Gloria Steinem following the feminist icon's death at 92, describing her as "the least egomaniacal person" she knew. Pogrebin recalled first meeting Steinem at a 1971 women's conference in Washington DC, where she realised her own approach of urging women to adjust to "a man's world" was misguided compared to Steinem's mission of organising to change it outright. The two went on to found Ms magazine together that December, a publication that put feminist issues into the mainstream and remains in print today.

Pogrebin described the magazine's fraught early days, including a "preview edition" the team feared might be its only issue, and a debut cover proclaiming "Wonder Woman for President" that tackled subjects such as pay inequality, credit discrimination and household labour rather than conventional women's-magazine fare. She contrasted Steinem's gentle, persuasive style with the more combative approach of fellow campaigner Betty Friedan, arguing the movement needed both. Pogrebin, who remained close friends with Steinem for more than 50 years and had lunch with her as recently as this summer, said she spent the morning of the news "hysterically crying" before speaking publicly about her friend and collaborator.