Renowned ABC News journalist and political commentator Cokie Roberts has died at the age of 75.
Roberts won countless awards, including three Emmys, throughout her decades-long career. She has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame and was cited by the American Women in Radio and Television as one of the 50 greatest women in the history of broadcasting. She was named a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress in 2008.
We will miss Cokie beyond measure, both for her contributions and for her love and kindness," her family said in a statement.
Her death was due to complications from breast cancer.
Her death was due to complications from breast cancer.
Roberts, born Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs, said she got the name "Cokie" from her older brother, who couldn't pronounce Corinne and dubbed her Cokie instead. The name stuck with her ever since.
"Cokie Roberts will be dearly missed," said James Goldston, president of ABC News. "Cokie's kindness, generosity, sharp intellect and thoughtful take on the big issues of the day made ABC a better place and all of us better journalists."
Roberts was "a true pioneer for women in journalism," Goldston said, "well-regarded for her insightful analysis of politics and policy in Washington, D.C., countless newsmaking interviews, and, notably, her unwavering support for generations of young women — and men — who would follow in her footsteps."
She is survived by her husband, fellow journalist Steven Roberts, her children, Lee and Rebecca and her six grandchildren.
Roberts graduated from Wellesley College in 1964 with a degree in political science and began her career in radio as a foreign correspondent for CBS in the 1970s and started covering Capitol Hill for National Public Radio in 1978, reporting on the Panama Canal Treaty.
She was assigned to Capitol Hill full-time in the early 1980s, serving as the network’s congressional correspondent for more than a decade.
Roberts co-anchored ABC’s "This Week" with Sam Donaldson from 1996 to 2002. She also served as political commentator, chief congressional analyst and a commentator for "This Week" during her three decades at ABC.
Before joining ABC News in 1988, Roberts spent more than two decades at outlets including WNEW (1968), KNBC-TV (1974-77), CBS News (1974-1977) and NPR starting in 1978. She was also a correspondent for MacNeil-Lehrer Newshour and a contributing senior news analyst for PBS.
Additionally, she wrote eight books, largely focusing on the role of women in American history, many of which were New York Times bestsellers.
She had recently acknowledged a struggle with her health.
"Over the summer, I have had some health issues which required treatment that caused weight loss. I am doing fine," she said in a statement after the "This Week" appearance. "I very much appreciate the kind comments I have received and expect to be, as I have been, working away in the days and months to come, covering what promises to be a fascinating election. I am grateful to everyone who has been in touch and sent their well wishes. Thanks for caring."
Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002 and was successfully treated. When she was diagnosed, she spoke about her longtime work urging women to get regular mammograms.
"Fortunately, in the course of my efforts to inform others about the disease, I learned about the benefits of early detection," she said in a statement at the time, The Washington Post reported. "Now I am the beneficiary of that information."
She told the Post that her cancer diagnosis didn’t give her a newfound perspective on life, because she already had one.
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https://abcnews.go.com/US/legendary...tator-cokie-roberts-dies-75/story?id=65633507
