The PBS Network reported that Gwen Ifill, award-winning broadcast journalist and author, has died Monday afternoon of cancer in Washington, DC. Ifill, 61, was a veteran journalist, moderator, and managing editor of “Washington Week” and co-anchor of “PBS NewsHour,” where she and co-host Judy Woodruff became the first two women hosts of the program.
“Gwen did her country a great service. Michelle and I join her family and her colleagues in remembering her today.” President Barack Obama
Ifill’s position as co-anchor culminated her long career in media and journalism that began in 1981 at The Baltimore Evening Sun. She later reported for The New York Times and The Washington Post before transitioning to television news in the 1990s where she covered politics and congress for NBC. Ifill also moderated the vice presidential debates in 2004 and 2008 and authored the book entitled – The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama
President Obama spoke highly of the journalist during a press conference today stating that she was a role model young women and girls today during a press conference.
As a woman of color in media, Ifill broke barriers as a prominent voice in the male-dominated field of politics. She became a household name gracing the nightly screens of many and became a trusted, authoritative figure in news.
Many also took to social media to express their admirable thoughts on Ifill and her career.
We mourn the loss of an outstanding and beloved journalist and friend. Gwen Ifill will be deeply missed.
— John Lewis (@repjohnlewis) November 14, 2016
Gwen Ifill was a role model to me and to every woman, especially black women who took up the calling of journalism. Honored to have met her. pic.twitter.com/agHfA1aIQV
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) November 14, 2016
https://twitter.com/RobinRoberts/status/798285859694972928
“Gwen was a standard bearer for courage, fairness, and integrity in an industry going through seismic change,” said Sara Just, PBS “NewsHour” executive producer. “She was a mentor to so many across the industry and her professionalism was respected across the political spectrum. She was a journalist’s journalist and set an example for all around her.”
Let us take a moment to remember the life, legacy, and career of journalist and trailblazer for fellow Black women in media, Gwen Ifill.
