PBS says PBS NewsHour co-founder Jim Lehrer died Thursday morning at the age of 85.
He anchored the news program for 36 years.
Like longtime partner Robert MacNeil, Lehrer saw broadcast journalism as a service, its main goal to help the public understand events and issues.
The two began the nightly reports on PBS in 1975, and the program was later expanded to an hour. It features detailed reports and discussions of politics, international relations, science, and even the arts.
MacNeil stepped down from the show in 1995.
Lehrer was also a frequent moderator of presidential debates.
“I’m heartbroken at the loss of someone who was central to my professional life, a mentor to me and someone whose friendship I’ve cherished for decades,” said PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff. “I’ve looked up to him as the standard for fair, probing and thoughtful journalism and I know countless others who feel the same way.”
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(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
