Election moderator
to speak to local
heavy hitters

Gwen Ifill: She is the managing editor of "Washington Week" for PBS

Ifill is the moderator and managing editor of "Washington Week" and serves as senior correspondent and sometimes anchor of "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," both on PBS. She was also a moderator during last year's nationally televised presidential debates.

Ifill is coming to the islands as a repeat speaker for the Hawaii Executive Council's annual meeting on the Big Island. She first addressed Hawaii's top 100-plus movers and shakers in 1997.

Ifill is a lifelong journalist and sees her attendance at the event as a sort of newsgathering opportunity, "not to quote anybody, but to broaden my understanding of how Washington debates affect people's lives."

Reporters are never invited to cover the Hawaii Executives' event, so as not to inhibit the free flow of networking, deal-making and golf tips.

Ifill also will stop on Oahu before the event to tape an "Island Insights" show with KHON-TV reporter Tina Shelton, for broadcast on PBS Hawaii.

"Because she's from PBS, we asked if she could come a day or two early and spend a day or two here," said Kalowena Komeiji, PBS Hawaii vice president for community relations.

Ifill will then speak at the University of Hawaii to college and high school journalism students about today's changing media.

"The future of our craft depends entirely on the people who are coming behind us," she said. Ifill never had such an opportunity. "I feel it's my role to help students or would-be journalists to understand the distinction between information and entertainment, news and opinion, and to try to sell (journalism) as a really honorable profession. A lot of people have become confused about what it is we do."

Ifill also said she doesn't think the television industry is alone in providing precarious job security.

"I don't know that there's any more job security in television than there is in any industry. Just because you do a great job doesn't mean you get to keep that job. Television is unique because so much has to do with appearance -- so much is subjective. Of course, nobody will say that because it's actionable," Ifill said.

Ifill has covered politics, national and local affairs for the Boston Herald American, Baltimore Evening Sun, the Washington Post, the New York Times, NBC News and PBS.

"I spent most of my career working in print. It wasn't until I started working in television 10 years ago that I even began to think about what it means to age in front of millions of people. I still don't think about it much."

PBS prioritizes substance over fluff, Ifill said.

When Ifill travels, she looks for an activity she can't do at home.

"The last time, I went against all recommendations and got on one of those helicopter rides over the volcano ... and didn't tell anyone until after the fact," she said. They were "horrified."

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