Our hearts are heavy at news of the passing of Gwen Ifill, PBS journalist, presidential debate moderator, trailblazing professional.
From The New York Times:
Ms. Ifill was the moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and the co-anchor and co-managing editor, with Judy Woodruff, of PBS NewsHour, the culmination of a career that began in 1981 at The Baltimore Evening Sun. Both she and Ms. Woodruff moderated a Democratic debate between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in February.
From Sara Just, PBS NewsHour executive producer and WETA SVP:
“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.
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.”
From PBS’ Twitter feed:
UPDATE: Please see the diary by igualdad currently on the Rec List for many more excellent links, comments, and tributes.