2016 has continued its strengthening as the worst year for the deaths of well-known, famous and beloved people in the worlds of entertainment and news. And the latest casualty of which is (in the opinion of mine and many others inside and outside the field) one of the very best reporters in news. Veteran journalist Gwen Ifill passed away yesterday afternoon after a long-fought battle with uterine cancer; she was 61 years young.
She was a wonderful journalist through and through. After beginning her career in print as a reporter for the Boston Herald--later moving on in later years to positions at the Baltimore the Washington Post and the New York Times, she took her talents to television, beginning as correspondent for NBC News. After an illustrious and storied tenure, she left the Peacock Network' News division in 1999, transferring to PBS to become moderator and managing editor of the network's long-running political discussion program Washington Week, and later became co-anchor and co-managing editor (along with fellow news vet and Peeb colleague Judy Woodruff) of the PBS NewsHour in 2013 (she was previously senior correspondent of the program) until her untimely passing.
Ms. Ifill has also appeared on other news programs including NBC's Meet the Press, and was a member of the board at several news-related associations. She was a busy woman and I will forever admire her for that.
When I first heard the news later that night, I was stunned speechless. I was away from my phone at the time (needed to let it charge) and had no idea. I was even more stunned that it was first reported hours ago, but still stinged nonetheless. During coverage of the National Conventions back in July, she looked beautiful and healthy like she never even had fought cancer. Then again that was months ago, and I haven't seen her since October; I thought she went on vacation or on assignment. I was wrong. When it was mentioned on the NewsHour that she was ill, I thought it was temporary. Again, wrong. Sadly. The fact that this came so suddenly hit me (and everyone else who knee her) like a brick wall.
Gosh, she will be missed.
While I've never known or met Ms. Ifill personally, her work in television news has astonished and inspired me to say the least. I've watched the NewsHour since I was in elementary school starting with the era hosted by Jim Lehrer (another amazing vet in news) and has consistently watched ever since for fantastic long-form reporting, interviews with the newsmakers of the day and to enjoy watching the anchors at work (especially Ms. Ifill). (And yes, this is the same kid who loved watching ZOOM, Arthur and Cyberchase among others during the day. So I'm wasn't all the way an Alex P. Keaton-like square.) The cast brought top-notch reporting and a refreshing sense of news every day and I was lucky to have watched as long as I did.
While I enjoyed watching her work on TV, I never realized what Ms. Ifill was at the start of her career under the surface. She was a true trailblazer and ground-breaker; not only for women, but also for African-Americans and African-American women. She was one of the first black women to work at a major network news division and helped lead the way for more black women in the industry for decades. As we have many African-American women--and of other ethnicities--grace our screens over the past few decades, she was still there forging a path for herself to still become of the the best. But she was a was a kind-hearted and gentle person. Despite her sweet side, she still was a tough-but-fair, no-nonsense reporter who wanted the truth and an honest answer for the people and won't stand for anything else. For proof, here is video of a roundtable discussion on Meet The Press she took part in in which she had to raise her voice to get on the level as her male counterparts.
Talk about a tough cookie who kicked butt.
Honestly, this woman is what all journalists (male and female) should look up to for real, honest, open and brilliant reporting and an iron-clad love and willingness for the job. She was a shining star of television news at a time where there were still many and jas always stood out from her white, male, testosterone-filled counterparts.
Gwen Ifill was luminary and icon in the world of television journalism, and none in the future will even come close to touch what she brought to the (round)table. She will be missed, and my love and condolences to her family and her extended families at the PBS NewsHour & Washington Week.
May she Rest in Peace...(and Power...)