Gwen Ifill Passes At Age 61, Anchor Host Of PBS News Hour, Veteran Journalist & Newscaster

Gwen Ifill, the veteran journalist and newscaster who co-anchored "PBS NewsHour," has died, PBS said Monday. Ifill, 61, broke gender and racial barriers and became a role model for journalists across the country. She had been battling endometrial cancer while covering this year's presidential election.
PBS said in a statement that she died Monday "surrounded by family and friends." "Gwen was one of America's leading lights in journalism and a fundamental reason public media is considered a trusted window on the world by audiences across the nation," Paula Kerger, the PBS president and CEO, said. "She often said that her job was to bring light rather than heat to issues of importance to our society," Kerger said.