Gwen Ifill became the first African American woman to host a major political TV show with Washington Week in Review. She was the moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and co-anchor and co-managing editor, with Judy Woodruff, of PBS NewsHour, both of which air on PBS.
Ifill was a political analyst and moderated the 2004 and 2008 American vice-presidential debates. She authored the best-selling book The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.
| Born | Gwendolyn L. Ifill September 29, 1955 New York City, New York, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Died | November 14, 2016 Washington, D.C. |
| Cause of death | Endometrial cancer |
| Education | Simmons College |
| Occupation | Journalist, author |
| Notable credit(s) | The New York Times News Hour with Jim Lehrer The Washington Post Washington Week |
| Religion | Methodist |
Gwen Ifill
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Honors and awards
Honors and awards
Ifill was awarded the Women in Film & Video Women of Vision Award in 2000. In 2004, she received the Gracie Allen Tribute Award from the Foundation for American Women in Radio and Television.
She was awarded a Peabody Award in 2008 for her work on Washington Week. In 2009 she was honored with the First Amendment Award by Ford Hall Forum and Harvard University honored her the same year with the Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism. The following year she received the 17th Fred Friendly First Amendment Award from Quinnipiac University. On February 7, 2011, Ifill was named an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta during the sorority's 22nd Annual Delta Days in Washington, D.C.
In 2012, Ifill was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame. In 2014 she was awarded the Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Her work on the PBS town hall special America After Ferguson earned her a nomination for Outstanding Host in a Talk, Reality, News/ Information or Variety (Series or Special) at the 46th NAACP Image Awards.
In November 2015 she accepted the Lifetime Achievement award from the Women's Media Center at the annual Women's Media Awards ceremony. She received the Fourth Estate Award from the National Press Club in 2015. Columbia University awarded her in 2016 the John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism; Ifill died two days before the scheduled ceremony.
Ifill received more than 20 honorary doctorates from universities around the world, including Georgetown University, Smith College, Bates College and Skidmore College. In May 2011 she served as a commencement speaker at Morehouse College.
