President Obama pays tribute to late journalist Gwen Ifill

President Obama pays tribute to late journalist Gwen Ifill

President Obama pays tribute to late journalist Gwen Ifill, who has died from cancer.

Respected PBS NewsHour anchor Gwen Ifill dies aged 61 after a short, private battle with cancer

Gwen Ifill, the respected PBS news anchor, has died at the age of 61 after losing a battle with cancer.

Ifill, who was best known as the NewsHour co-anchor and managing editor of PBS talk show Washington Week, passed away surrounded by her family in a Washington hospice on Monday.

The respected newscaster had moderated two vice-presidential debates, between John Edwards and Dick Cheney in 2004; and between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden in 2008.

Earlier this month PBS announced she would be taking time off for health reasons but had kept her battle with cancer private.