And the award-winning journalist and news anchor Gwen Ifill has died of cancer at the age of 61. In 1999, Ifill became the first African-American woman to host a major national political talk show when she took the helm of “Washington Week in Review.” In 2013, she became co-host of the ”PBS NewsHour,” taking an anchor chair next to Judy Woodruff. Ifill continued covering the presidential election throughout the year, even as she underwent cancer treatment. Last spring, she moderated a Democratic primary debate between Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders. At a press conference Monday, President Barack Obama reacted to Ifill’s passing.
President Barack Obama: “Michelle and I want to offer our deepest condolences to Gwen Ifill’s family and all of you, her colleagues, on her passing. Gwen was a friend of ours. She was an extraordinary journalist. She always kept faith with the fundamental responsibilities of her profession, asking tough questions, holding people in power accountable and defending a strong and free press that makes our democracy work. I always appreciated Gwen’s reporting, even when I was at the receiving end of one of her tough and thorough interviews. Whether she reported from a convention floor or from the field, whether she sat at the debate moderator’s table or at the anchor’s desk, she not only informed today’s citizens, but she also inspired tomorrow’s journalists.”