The spirit of the late journalist Gwen Ifill will live on in the form of a fellowship, organizers announced this week.
The Washington Press Club Foundation and the PBS NewsHour are creating The Gwen Ifill/PBS NewsHour Journalism Fellowship, a 10-week program open to undergraduate and graduate journalism students in financial need.
Ifill, who was a PBS Newshour co-anchor and a long-time Washington Week moderator, passed away last November after a battle with cancer. An icon within political journalism circles, she also moderated the vice presidential debates in 2004 and 2008.
“Gwen Ifill was the best of the best, a remarkable journalist with boundless curiosity, who insisted on the highest standards for herself and her colleagues,” said Sara Just, PBS NewsHour executive producer. “At a time when the world needs Gwen Ifill more than ever, her passing reminded us just how many seeds she planted through mentorship and friendship with up and coming journalists. We are grateful for the generosity of the Washington Press Club Foundation for the opportunity to honor Gwen’s legacy in this way and guiding young people into practicing journalism with her high standards.”
The Washington Press Club Foundation will provide the funding for the scholarship, which is set to launch in June 2017.