*PBS journalist Gwen Ifill has died following a battle with cancer, according to POLITICO. She was 61.
Best known for moderating PBS’s “Washington Week in Review” and being a senior correspondent on PBS NewsHour, Ifill was in hospice care in Washington. She also took a leave of absence from the public broadcaster in May to get medical treatment.
The Queens-born journalist did not participate in election night coverage, with PBS saying she was “off the air this week while she addresses health issues. We look forward to her return as soon as possible.”
Ifill was set to receive the 2016 John Chancellor Award from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in a ceremony on Wednesday.
“I am very sad to tell you that our dear friend and beloved colleague Gwen Ifill passed away today in hospice care in Washington,” WETA president Sharon Percy Rockefeller said in an email to staff on Monday, according to POLITICO. “I spent an hour with her this morning and she was resting comfortably, surrounded by loving family and friends.”
After beginning her career in the late 1970s, Ifill spent time reporting for outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC and the Baltimore Sun before becoming the host of “Washington Week” and “PBS NewsHour.”
She moderated vice presidential debates in both 2004 and 2008 and was mourned by both sides of the political spectrum after her death.
At times, ppl would stop & pay me a compliment. They thought we looked alike. I always told Gwen ppl loved her. We loved and will miss her.
— Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) November 14, 2016
