TV Journalists

Robert MacNeil (1931–2024), MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour co-anchor

Robert MacNeil was a Canadian-American journalist who co-founded the long running news program that is now known as “PBS NewsHour.” 

Nerene Virgin (1946–2024), star of Today’s Special 

Nerene Virgin was a Canadian actress and journalist who starred in the 1980s children’s TV show “Today’s Special.”

Ruth Ashton Taylor (1922–2024), groundbreaking broadcast reporter 

Ruth Ashton Taylor was a television journalist and newscaster who worked with Edward R. Murrow in New York City, then moved to Los Angeles, where she became the first female television newscaster on the West Coast.

Bernard Kalb (1922–2023), journalist for CBS News, CNN

Bernard Kalb was a journalist for many years at outlets including CBS News and CNN.

Barbara Walters (1929–2022), legendary TV news icon

Trailblazing television journalist widely known for cohosting “20/20″ and “The View."

Drew Griffin (1962–2022), CNN investigative reporter 

Drew Griffin was a veteran award-winning investigative reporter for CNN.

Anne Garrels (1951–2022), longtime NPR foreign correspondent  

Anne Garrels was a foreign correspondent for NPR who reported from the front lines of numerous conflicts.

Bernard Shaw (1940–2022), original CNN chief anchor

Bernard Shaw was the first chief news anchor for CNN when the network launched in 1980.

Uma Pemmaraju (1958–2022), original Fox News anchor

Uma Pemmaraju was one of the original anchors when Fox News launched in 1996.

Trudy Haynes (1926–2022), first Black TV weather reporter in the U.S.

Trudy Haynes was an Emmy Award-winning journalist who became the first Black TV weather reporter in the U.S. and the first Black TV reporter in Philadelphia.

Jim Hartz (1940–2022), former “Today Show” co-host

Jim Hartz was a broadcast journalist who co-hosted “The Today Show” alongside Barbara Walters in the 1970s.

Elsa Klensch (1933–2022), fashion journalist for CNN

Elsa Klensch was a fashion journalist who hosted “Style with Elsa Klensch” on CNN for more than 20 years.

Willard Scott (1934–2021), longtime Today Show weatherman

Willard Scott was the weatherman for “The Today Show” from 1980 to 1996, and he was the first actor to play the Ronald McDonald character for McDonald’s.

Roger Mudd (1928–2021), “Meet the Press” host and “NBC Nightly News” anchor

Roger Mudd was a broadcast journalist well known for credits including hosting “Meet the Press” and co-anchoring “NBC Nightly News.”

Bobbie Battista (1952–2020), former CNN anchor

BobbieBattista wasa former anchor for CNN, most notably asone ofthe first anchorsfor CNN Headline Newswhich launched in 1981.She moved to CNN in 1988 where she hosted numerous shows including NewsHour,WorldDay, andTalkBackLive.In 1986, she was voted best newscaster in Cable Guide magazines annual readers poll.Battista was an anchor for many historical moments including the Challenger disasterand the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.She left CNN in 2001.

Jim Lehrer (1934–2020), longtime anchor of “PBS NewsHour”

Jim Lehrer was a broadcast journalist well known for hosting “PBS NewsHour” for more than 30 years. Lehrer joined Robert MacNeil to cohost the program in 1976, when it was titled “The MacNeil/Lehrer Report.” When MacNeil left in 1995, it became “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer,” renamed “PBS NewsHour” in 2009. In the 36 years before his 2011 retirement, Lehrer became a giant of broadcasting known for his directness. He always strove simply to report the news, feeling that opinion and analysis had no place in what he did. Lehrer moderated twelve presidential debates, more than any other moderator in U.S. history, most recently the first presidential general election debate of 2012. He was also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and an author of plays, novels, memoirs, and screenplays, including the novel “Top Down” about the Kennedy assassination. Lehrer was honored with the National Humanities Medal and the George Foster Peabody Broadcast Award, and he was a member of the Television Hall of Fame.

Cokie Roberts (1943–2019), legendary journalist with NPR and ABC News

Cokie Roberts was a journalist known for her work on NPR’s “Morning Edition” as well as co-anchoring ABC News’ “This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts.”

Russ Ewing (1923–2019), fearless Chicago TV news reporter

Russ Ewing was a longtime fearless Chicago TV news reporter who persuaded more than 100 criminal suspects to surrender. Ewing was a Chicago firefighter who then became a TV reporter, first working with Chicago station WMAQ and later with WLS. He became a trusted figure on the Chicago streets, and many criminals trusted Ewing to bring them in safely to the police. In 1975, Ewing and newspaper publisher Gus Savage talked two men into surrendering after they robbed a currency exchange and held two women hostage. Ewing was also an accomplished jazz pianist who performed on “The Tonight Show.”

Steve Dunleavy (1938–2019), "A Current Affair" and New York Post journalist

Steve Dunleavy was an Australian-born tabloid journalist who was a lead reporter on the television show "A Current Affair" and a columnist for the New York Post.

TV Journalists

Anchors are some of the most-trusted presences on the small screen, the faces we lookto in times of national crisis to bring us the news ... along with a bit of reassurance. From and , to and , these are the great television news anchors of decades past, memorable for their voices, faces and unique styles of sharing the news of the day with us. We pay tribute to TV broadcasters with this photo tribute to those we've lost.

Estela O’Brien (2019), Soledad O’Brien’s mother

Estela O’Brien was the mother of television journalist Soledad O’Brien. She passed away just 40 days after Soledad’s father. Soledad shared details of her mother’s life in a touching Instagram post. Estela was an immigrant from a poor Cuban family who left Fidel Castro’s regime to come to America for an education. She attended college and married O’Brien’s father, an interracial marriage at a time when it was still illegal. She became a teacher who taught at the high school that Soledad attended. Estela and her husband put all six of their children through college. Soledad called her mom “a pretty remarkable lady.”

David Horowitz (1937–2019), consumer reporter hosted "Fight Back!"

Informed consumers of product defects and rip-offs.

Robin Leach (1941–2018), “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” host

His signature catchphrase was “champagne wishes and caviar dreams.”

Ed Schultz (1954 – 2018), broadcasting personality

Former host of "The Ed Show" on MSNBC…

Elizabeth Brackett (1941 – 2018), longtime Chicago journalist

Journalist hosted the WTTW show "Chicago Tonight" for two decades…

After His Girlfriend Was Killed, Chris Hurst Ran For Office on Sensible Gun Control — and Won

Two years ago, Chris Hurst lost his girlfriend, Alison Parker, to gun violence. Yesterday, he won a seat in Virginia's House of Delegates, defeating a candidate backed by the NRA.

Liz MacKean (1964 - 2017), BBC journalist

Ex-BBC journalist was known for her hard-hitting exposés…

Brenda Buttner (1961–2017), Bulls & Bears host

Brenda Buttner, the host of “Bulls & Bears” on Fox News, died Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, of cancer, according to multiple news sources. She was 55.

Gwen Ifill (1955–2016), PBS NewsHour co-anchor

Gwen Ifill, a veteran television journalist who served as moderator and managing editor of the Public Broadcasting Service’s talk show “Washington Week,” died Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, of cancer, according to the network. She was 61.

John Saunders (1955–2016), ESPN journalist

John Saunders wasa Canadian-born sports journalist who worked for ESPN and ABC.

Jeanne Parr (1924–2016), pioneering CBD correspondent

Jeanne Parr, pioneering CBS correspondent and mother of actor Chris Noth, has died at the age of 92.

Morley Safer (1931–2016), 60 Minutes correspondent

Remembering Morley Safer, veteran CBS journalist and correspondent for the network's "60 Minutes" newsmagazine...

Jamie Zimmerman (1983–2015)

ABC News medical doctor and reporter.

Remembering Bob Simon

It’s not typical for a person’s professional colleagues to mourn their death as deeply as their friends and family do. But Bob Simon was not a typical man.

Remembering ESPN Sportscaster Stuart Scott

ESPN anchor died Jan. 4, 2015, after a long battle with cancer. He was 49.

6 From 60 Minutes

The many hosts and commentators "60 Minutes" has introduced us to have become superstars of journalism.

Andy Rooney: Our Favorite Curmudgeon

For more than 40 years, Andy Rooney spared few punches as he skewered pretty much anything that had ever annoyed him.

Ed Bradley's Incisive Interviews

During his illustrious career, television journalist took home 19 Emmys and won numerous other awards such as the Peabody and the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award—and for good reason.

Harold Dow and Asthma Fatalities

When TV journalist died due to an asthma attack, many were shocked. But just how rare is death from asthma?