Shields was also a columnist for several news outlets, including CNN and ABC. Afterwards, he worked for several local and presidential races before embarking on his PBS career in 1988. After college, Shield went on to serve in the United States Marine Corps. Shields was a native of Weymouth, Mass., and graduated from the University of Notre Dame.
The two discussed politics together on NewsHour Friday evenings for nearly two decades.
'Mark radiates a generosity of spirit that improves all who come within his light,' David Brooks, a New York Times columnist, wrote shortly after Shields retired. The Wall Street Journal called Shields 'the wittiest political analyst around' and The Washington Post described him as 'a walking almanac of American politics.' 'I am heartbroken to share this.the 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,' Woodruff tweeted. Shields was known for both his sense of humor and his expansive knowledge of American politics, Judy Woodruff, the anchor and managing editor of NewsHour said in a tweet announcing his death.
