Washington: New York Times reporter Robin Toner, who became the newspaper s first female national political correspondent, has died at age 54.

Toner died yesterday at her home in Washington from complications of colon cancer, The Times said.

In her 25-year Times career, Toner covered five presidential elections and countless congressional and gubernatorial campaigns. She was known for her meticulous reporting and relentless fact-checking. Out of more than 1,900 articles with her byline, Toner had only half a dozen published corrections over the years.

In 1992,Toner was the lead reporter on Bill Clinton s presidential election. She later became chief of correspondents on the paper s national desk in New York, coaching reporters in other bureaus, and also has held the title of senior writer, covering topics including abortion rights and judicial nominations.

"When you watched her work relentless on the phone, gnawing her fingernails to the nub, a perfectionist on the keyboard, you d think: a workhorse, not a show horse, Bill Keller, executive editor of The New York Times, said on its Web site. "Then you d read the result and it would be elegant. She was one of the best."

Michael Oreskes, a former Times Washington bureau chief who is now managing editor for US news at The Associated Press, praised Toner as "the toughest, smartest and straightest political reporter I have ever known."
Source : PTI