PBS Newshour Anchor, Presidential Debate Moderator Jim Lehrer Dead At 85

BS NewsHour co-founder Jim Lehrer, a giant in journalism known for his tenacity and dedication to simply delivering the news, died peacefully in his sleep at home on Thursday, at the age of 85.

NEW YORK (AP) - A host of the nightly PBS "NewsHour" that for decades offered a thoughtful take on current events has died. Jim Lehrer was 85. 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.