Longtime PBS NewsHour Co-Anchor and Co-Founder Robert MacNeil Has Passed Away at 93

WASHINGTON, DC (April 12, 2024) — Co-founder and longtime co-anchor of the PBS NewsHour Robert MacNeil passed away earlier today, Friday, April 12, 2024, at the age of 93. MacNeil co-founded the MacNeil/Lehrer Report, the predecessor of the PBS NewsHour, alongside the late Jim Lehrer in 1975, out of their 1973 coverage of the Senate Watergate Hearings on PBS. MacNeil, an award-winning journalist, was on the ground in Dallas when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and interviewed hundreds of national and international newsmakers throughout his career including Martin Luther King Jr., Ayatollah Khomeini, and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

PBS NewsHour co-anchors Geoff Bennett and Amna Nawaz said, “Robin was one of a kind. With his distinctive voice, he brought stories to life — unraveling complex issues with clarity and compassion. Whether it was through his incisive reporting or his intimate interviews, he possessed a singular ability to connect with people. As we reflect on his many contributions, we honor his memory by continuing to pursue the truth and by fostering connections that bridge divides – just as Robin did with such grace and vigor. We are deeply grateful for the enduring legacy he leaves behind.”

PBS NewsHour senior correspondent and former anchor and managing editor Judy Woodruff added, “I am so deeply saddened at the loss of a precious friend. One of the greatest honors of my life was working with Robin MacNeil and being part of the way he and Jim Lehrer changed television news. He was brilliant and urbane, but always with a delightful sense of irony. I’m so grateful to have spoken with him in January on his birthday, when that iconic, deep Canadian baritone voice sounded exactly as it had when he last anchored the NewsHour almost 30 years ago.”

Sharon Percy Rockefeller, President and Chief Executive Officer of WETA and President of NewsHour Productions, shared, “Robin was an incredibly erudite reporter, anchor and writer who raised the bar for serious journalism in America. Principled, incisive and tenacious, he and Jim Lehrer set the high standards for NewsHour journalism that remain the core ethos of the program to this day.”

PBS NewsHour senior executive producer Sara Just added, “Robin MacNeil was a giant in journalism, and a most gentle giant. His and Jim Lehrer’s commitment to the news standards we practice still at the NewsHour are an ongoing inspiration to our newsroom and the industry overall.”

Paula Kerger, president of PBS, also added, “Robin’s passing marks the end of an era for PBS, and is a tremendous loss for our country,” said Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS. “His work with Jim Lehrer during the Watergate hearings, was profoundly important and groundbreaking.  In creating the MacNeil/Lehrer Report, and ultimately the NewsHour, Robin and Jim set the standard for excellence in news programming through their focus on the facts and the critically important issues of the day.  While we mourn his death, we honor his life and work by building on his legacy.”

Media Assets

Media Contact: Nick Massella, nhcomms@newshour.org