Her father, Jack Marshall, was a receptionist in the lobby at the Daily Express, who took the opportunity to speak to Lord Beaverbrook about taking her on as a journalist. This succeeded and in 1956 she moved to the paper where she worked for eleven years, before moving on to The Times. She was recruited to her new post as part of an attempt to liven up the paper. She was one of the first women reporters employed by the paper. In 1974 she was appointed Home News Editor, where she expanded the scope of reporting beyond politics and crime. In 1976 Charles Douglas-Home became home editor and Marshall was reassigned to special reports, firstly as an assistant editor and then as deputy editor from 1981.
