Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Roberts, widely recognized as Cokie Roberts, was a distinguished American journalist and bestselling author, born on December 27, 1943, and passing away on September 17, 2019. Over her extensive career, she became a prominent political reporter and analyst at National Public Radio (NPR) and ABC News. Her notable appearances included major programs such as Morning Edition, The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, World News Tonight, and This Week.
In partnership with her husband, Steven V. Roberts, she crafted a weekly column that was syndicated in newspapers nationwide. Cokie was also actively involved with several non-profit organizations, including the Kaiser Family Foundation, and received an appointment from President George W. Bush to his Council on Service and Civic Participation.
Roberts hailed from a politically influential family; her mother, Lindy Boggs, was a former ambassador and a long-serving Congresswoman, while her father, Hale Boggs, was a prominent Congressman and Majority Leader of the House. Cokie's journalism career began at NPR in 1978, where she served as a congressional correspondent for over a decade, earning the Edward Weintal Prize for her coverage of the Iran-Contra Affair in 1988. She joined ABC News in 1988, where she became a key political correspondent and co-anchor for This Week from 1996 to 2002.
Her accolades included the Edward R. Murrow Award, the Everett McKinley Dirksen Award, and the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism. In addition, she was honored with induction into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame and was recognized as one of the fifty greatest women in broadcasting history. After a successful battle with breast cancer, Roberts succumbed to complications from the disease in 2019, leaving behind a legacy of journalistic excellence.
