Margaret Jane Pauley (born October 31, 1950, in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American television journalist, and has been involved in news reporting since 1975. She is most known for her 13 year tenure on NBC's "Today" program and later 12 years of "Dateline NBC," and has acknowledged publicly her struggle with mental health and bipolar disorder.

Real Life with Jane Pauley was a newsmagazine television program aired in the United States by NBC from 1990 to 1991.

Real Life with Jane Pauley seems to have been presented as an answer to both critics and members of the general public to the frequently-repeated viewpoint that "television news never seems to show anything positive". Real Life focused on positive, human interest-type stories and occasional celebrity profiles. Jane Pauley also presented less uplifting but still-lightweight features as well, such as a feature focusing on how less than 20% of the people who owned VCRs at the time actually knew how to program them. Boyd Matson was also featured as a correspondent; his reports featured stories on out of the way places.

Real Life with Jane Pauley began as an hour-long program aired on Tuesday nights in the summer of 1990. It was put on hiatus in September of that year, returning in January 1991 as a mid-season replacement. At this time it was reduced to a half hour, the length it was to remain throughout the balance of its run. The last broadcast was on November 1, 1991.

Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world (1990)

Children with husband Garry Trudeau: Twins Ross and Rachel (born in 1983), and Thomas (born in 1986)

Jane has suffered severe allergic reactions resulting in hives that hospitalized her. She had them at age 7, 14, and 21 and has had to use prednisone to control the severe bouts.

Jane's father, Richard, was a milk salesman in Bloomington. Her mother, Mary, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when Jane was only 13. After that, her mother had a series of heart attacks and strokes before her death.

Attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana

Received honorary doctorate from Trinity College in 1998.

She and her sister, Anne Pauley, are best friends. Anne, like Jane, also graduated from Indiana University. Anne will be a major contributor to Jane's new show, "Jane Pauley Show, The" (2004) coming in the fall of 2004.

Bipolar

Is a sister of Kappa Kappa Gamma

Graduated from Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Graduated from the same high school as former NFL Quarterback Jeff George.

Has been prescribed lithium to treat her bipolar illness.

Presbyterian.

Had many cats as pets when she was little.