'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Political columnist and commentator Mark Shields recently passed away from kidney failure on Saturday, June 18. He was 85 years old at the time of death. Newshour anchor Judy Woodruff confirmed the news in a tweet that states,
“I am heartbroken to share this..the @NewsHour’s beloved long-time Friday night analyst Mark Shields, who for decades wowed us with his encyclopedic knowledge of American politics, his sense of humor and mainly his big heart, has passed away at 85, with his wife Anne at his side.”
Everything known about Mark Shields
Born on May 25, 1937, Mark Stephen Shields gained recognition for his political analysis and commentary on PBS NewsHour since 1988. He was a regular panelist on the political roundtable show Inside Washington until 2013, and a moderator and panelist on the CNN weekly political talk show, Capital Gang.
The Weymouth, Massachusetts native graduated in 1959 from the University of Notre Dame. He initially joined the United States Marine Corps in Florida in 1960 and was a lance corporal before being discharged in 1962.
After moving to Washington in 1965, he became an adviser to Wisconsin Senator William Proxmire, and worked for Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign in 1968. He was also a part of Edmund Muskie and Morris Udall’s presidential campaigns, and served as Sargent Shriver's political director.
He managed state and local campaigns in several states alongside the re-election campaign of Mayor Kevin White in 1975. He joined The Washington Post as an editorial writer in 1979 and started writing a column.
Shields also taught U.S. politics and press at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. Mark was a fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government.
He started appearing as a political commentator on PBS NewsHour in 1988. The show is currently broadcast on around 350 PBS member stations and is popular for its coverage of issues and current events.
Shields left the show in 2020, and the news was announced by Judy Woodruff. However, Woodruff also stated that Shields would still occasionally be a part of the NewsHour during important political events. Mark also wrote a book titled On the Campaign Trail based on the 1984 presidential campaign.
Netizens pay tribute on Twitter
Mark Shields was famous among the public due to his appearance on PBS NewsHour. People expressed their grief on Twitter following the news of his death.
Shields is survived by his wife Anne Hudson Shields, daughter Amy and two grandchildren. An official statement is currently awaited from his family members and further details on his funeral are yet to be disclosed.
