Bender started her journalism career after school working the dangerous crime beat for the
New York Journal American where she covered the
Jesús Galíndez kidnapping and murder. She also worked for
Parade. Bender was known for reporting on the Jet Set of the day with a sense of detachment and critique. She pioneered reporting on women's issues with
Charlotte Curtis and
Gloria Emerson. From 1985 until 1991, Bender edited
Business World, a supplement to The New York Times Magazine. Bender and her husband, Selig Altschul, were the authors of
The Chosen Instrument, an acclaimed history of
Pan American Airways and biography of its founder,
Juan Trippe. == Personal life ==