Colleagues Pay Tribute to ABC News’ Cokie Roberts After Pioneering Journalist Dies at Age 75
Pioneering journalist Cokie Roberts, who spent more than four decades working mostly for ABC, died Tuesday morning at the age of 75.
Roberts’ family shared the news in a statement — announcing that the journalist had passed due to complications from breast cancer.
“We will miss Cokie beyond measure, both for her contributions and for her love and kindness,” the family wrote in their statement.
Roberts joined ABC News in 1988, after lengthy stints at CBS and NPR, among others. In 1996, she was tapped to co-anchor ABC’s Sunday morning show This Week along with Sam Donaldson. She conducted scores of noteworthy interviews over the decades and wrote six books.
The famed journalist is survived by Steven Roberts — her husband of 53 years — along with two children and six grandchildren.
Tributes are pouring in from the legendary reporter’s Washington colleagues on social media:
My friend, my colleague, my hero Cokie Roberts has died.
Brilliant. Brave. Kind. Hilarious. A fierce patriot.
And one of the best human beings I have ever known. pic.twitter.com/nZfUBaf2OE
— Terry Moran (@TerryMoran) September 17, 2019
Such a loss. Cokie was a truly kind pioneer, an outstanding reporter, who looked out for fellow journalists, and was incredibly generous to those of us coming up in the industry. It was a privilege to know her, work with her, and to call her a friend. Rest In Peace Cokie https://t.co/P9Lk88QPhr
— Rebecca Jarvis (@RebeccaJarvis) September 17, 2019
Cokie Roberts has died. She was an insightful voice on the air, and a leader behind the scenes, at both @NPR and @abcnews. https://t.co/vYW92waNcb
— Steve Inskeep (@NPRinskeep) September 17, 2019
A legend of journalism who was all heart and soul. We have lost a friend, a sister, a pioneer who helped all of us by her example. My deepest condolences to Steve and the children and grandchildren and her colleagues @ABC
She made the world a better place, a national treasure. https://t.co/vYRu5k9W5S— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) September 17, 2019
Rest In Peace, Cokie. https://t.co/0LX3m4Rj8n
— Willie Geist (@WillieGeist) September 17, 2019
RIP to Cokie Roberts – someone I admired for her smart analysis and has mentored so many women in this business https://t.co/bzcBR8A0gL
— Kristin Donnelly (@kristindonnelly) September 17, 2019
What an icon. Sad news today https://t.co/PTTg4aPlzr
— Caitlin Huey-Burns (@CHueyBurns) September 17, 2019
feeling so sad about the loss of Cokie Roberts, a wonderful person who was a model for our business
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) September 17, 2019
What sad, sad news. Cokie Roberts was a legend in her time and a wonderful person. I grew up loving her political analysis and insights into Washington. She will be terribly missed. https://t.co/21oIOdKMhG
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) September 17, 2019
[image via ABC Photo Archives]
