Elizabeth Arnold Obituary ANCHORAGE, Alaska Cause of Death— Elizabeth Arnold, the acclaimed journalist whose reporting career spanned politics, environmental issues, and public broadcasting, died on June 18, 2026, at her home in Anchorage following complications from endometrial cancer. She was 66.
Arnold was widely recognized for her influential work with NPR, where she spent more than two decades covering major political events, including the presidential campaigns of Bill Clinton and Bob Dole. She also gained national respect for her in-depth environmental reporting, traveling across the Arctic, Tibet, Mongolia, and Russia to document climate and conservation issues.
Born in Northampton, Massachusetts, Arnold graduated from Colgate University before beginning her journalism career in Alaska. She worked at KTOO in Juneau before joining NPR in Washington, D.C., where her reporting on the Exxon Valdez oil spill helped establish her national reputation.
Throughout her distinguished career, Arnold received numerous honors, including the Dirksen Award for Distinguished Reporting on Congress and an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award. After returning to Alaska, she spent 17 years teaching journalism at the University of Alaska Anchorage and mentoring future reporters.
She is survived by her husband, Steve Buckley; son, Jack Consenstein; brother, Peter Arnold; and former husband, Danny Consenstein.
Elizabeth Arnold’s legacy lives on through her groundbreaking journalism, dedication to public service, and lasting impact on generations of journalists.