PBS journalist Gwen Ifill dies at 61

Renowned journalist Gwen Ifill has died at the age of 61, PBS confirmed Monday. Ifill, the co-anchor of PBS NewsHour and moderator of the public broadcaster's Washington Week program, was reportedly battling cancer.

In a statement, PBS's president and CEO Paula Kerger mourned Ifill's passing, saying: "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. Her contributions to thoughtful reporting and civic discourse simply cannot be overstated."

PBS had announced earlier this month that Ifill would be taking "unspecified time off for health reasons," Fox News reported, and would be absent from election coverage. She also took an unexplained leave of absence in May.

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Ifill previously held reporting positions at The Washington Post, The New York Times, and NBC before joining PBS in 1999. She was slated to receive the 2016 John Chancellor Award from Columbia University on Wednesday. Read Kerger's full statement on Ifill's passing below, via BuzzFeed News. Becca Stanek