buzzz worthy. . .
Veteran journalist Gwen Ifill has died at the age of 61. Ifill secretly battled cancer and died in hospice care on November 14, 2016.
The long-time co-anchor of PBS New Hour (with Judy Woodruff ) spent over 30 years in the field of journalism with a heavy concentration in politics. She was a debate moderator for the 2004, 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, moderating vice presidential debates.
As she came up the ranks from her start as a newspaper reporter, it was rare to see a black woman anchoring a political news oriented program. She served as the host of Washington Week to tackle serious issues of the day.
Ifill was born in Queens to a Panamanian father who became and AME pastor and mother from Barbados. The Washington Post reports in the Ifill household as a child news was like a second religion.
Condolences and statements from President Obama to members of the press to viewers spread rapidly. Ifill was well respected and well loved among her peers and the public it appears from the myriad of positive , but sad responses to her death.
Some of the official statements about Ifill's passing are listed here:
National Press Club
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| Gwen Ifill, 1955-2016 |
Veteran journalist Gwen Ifill has died at the age of 61. Ifill secretly battled cancer and died in hospice care on November 14, 2016.
The long-time co-anchor of PBS New Hour (with Judy Woodruff ) spent over 30 years in the field of journalism with a heavy concentration in politics. She was a debate moderator for the 2004, 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, moderating vice presidential debates.
As she came up the ranks from her start as a newspaper reporter, it was rare to see a black woman anchoring a political news oriented program. She served as the host of Washington Week to tackle serious issues of the day.
Ifill was born in Queens to a Panamanian father who became and AME pastor and mother from Barbados. The Washington Post reports in the Ifill household as a child news was like a second religion.
Condolences and statements from President Obama to members of the press to viewers spread rapidly. Ifill was well respected and well loved among her peers and the public it appears from the myriad of positive , but sad responses to her death.
Some of the official statements about Ifill's passing are listed here:
PBS New Hour
“It is with extremely heavy hearts that we must share that our dear friend and beloved colleague Gwen Ifill passed away this afternoon following several months of cancer treatment. She was surrounded by loving family and many friends whom we ask that you keep in your thoughts and .”
Corporation for Public Broadcastingprayers
Corporation for Public Broadcastingprayers
"We join the entire public media system in expressing our sadness over the news of Gwen Ifill's passing.
Gwen was a devoted supporter of public media and an iconic and accomplished journalist. In her 17 years on Washington Week in Review and the PBS NewsHour, she distinguished herself as one of the country’s most astute reporters and political commentators.
We extend our condolences to Gwen’s family, friends and her colleagues at PBS NewsHour, Washington Week, and WETA."
National Press Club
"Today is a sad day for journalism and for the Washington journalism community. We have lost a leader in our profession and a good friend, Gwen Ifill.
On Oct. 15, 2015, The National Press Club recognized Gwen as our 2015 recipient of the Fourth Estate Award – the Club's highest honor. Walter Cronkite, David Broder, Bob Woodward, Russell Baker and Mary McGrory all received this award previously. We consider Gwen right at home among those great names.
But on that night -- as on every occasion that she visited the National Press Club to conduct an interview, sit on a panel or cover a news conference -- it was Gwen who honored us with her professionalism, her wit and her warmth. She had the presence of an anchorwoman and the soul of a reporter. Gwen was the rare person who achieved equally great success writing for newspapers as she did in front of a TV camera. And perhaps her greatest achievement was that among her colleagues, peers, competitors, sources, viewers and the many reporters she mentored, she was so well loved and so fully respected. She will be missed."
Statement by Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch on the Passing of Gwen Ifill
“Gwen Ifill was a pioneering figure in American journalism who quite literally changed the face of the evening news. She met discrimination and bigotry with talent and focus, rising to become one of the most prominent journalists of her generation. She pursued her reporting with grace, intelligence and integrity, earning her the trust of countless Americans who counted on her to present the facts of a story without slant or spin. She asked tough questions and told hard truths, but she always did so in a way that elevated, rather than coarsened, our national discourse. Our country is a better place because of her commitment to the truth, and she will be sorely missed, both on the air and off.”
Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of Gwen Ifill, a standout journalist and internationally respected news veteran. As the first woman of color to co-host a nightly newscast with PBS News Hour, she was a media giant who was smart, sensitive, and always a class act. Her exceptional deliverance of the news will be missed greatly and her reporting on issues that mattered to millions will be remembered for years to come.”
President Obama's remarks on the life and work of journalist Gwen Ifill