Neary was born and raised in Crestwood, Westchester County, NY.

[1] Neary began her career in public radio as a news anchor and reporter, covering education and county government at NPR member station WOSU in Columbus, Ohio.

In 1982, she became a newscaster on Morning Edition, before taking over as weekend host of All Things Considered in 1984, a post she held until 1992.

[2] Along with producer Dan Morris, Neary received a 1988 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for 625 K Street, a report on the Arthur Kapper Housing Project, dubbed "the worst public housing in the District of Columbia".

For her reporting on welfare reform, Neary shared NPR's 1994-95 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Silver Baton Award.