Veteran Journalist Gwen Ifill Dies at 61

Gwen Ifill, the legendary and beloved journalist who provided a blueprint for many black women in media, has died after a hard-fought battle with cancer, PBS NewsHour has confirmed; she was 61: Suggested Reading Spades? What Diddy Will Be Doing In Prison This Fourth Of July A White Male TikToker Decided To Use Black Hair…

Gwen Ifill, the legendary and beloved journalist who provided a blueprint for many black women in media, has died after a hard-fought battle with cancer, PBS NewsHour has confirmed; she was 61:

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Ifill was co-managing editor of PBS NewsHour and managing editor of Washington Week. In February, Ifill moderated a debate between Democratic presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. She was the first black woman to moderate a presidential debate during the 2016 election cycle, and the firstย woman of color to moderate a presidential debateย since Carole Simpson in 1992.

Ifill, the author of 2009'sย The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama,ย previously moderated the 2004 and 2008 vice presidential debates.

As previously reported by The Root, in Augustย Columbia Universityโ€™s Graduate School of Journalism announced that Ifill had been awarded the 2016 John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism. Sheย is the first African-American recipient in the awardโ€™s 21-year history.

Ifill received over 25 honorary doctorates and sat on the boards of the News Literary Project and the Committee to Protect Journalists, among many other accomplishments.

"Gwen was a standard-bearer for courage, fairness and integrity in an industry going through seismic change. 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," PBS NewsHour Executive Producer Sara Just said in a statement. "So many people in the audience felt that they knew and adored her. She had a tremendous combination of warmth and authority. She was stopped on the street routinely by people who just wanted to give her a hug and considered her a friend after years of seeing her on TV. We will forever miss her terribly."

Straight From The Root

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