Anchored by Brandis Friedman, WTTW’s flagship nightly newsmagazine CHICAGO TONIGHT airs at 5:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. weeknights on WTTW and streams live and on-demand on wttw.com/news, Facebook and YouTube. Independent and trusted, CHICAGO TONIGHT and WTTW News cover arts and entertainment, business, crime and law, education, health, politics, and science and nature across Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods and communities. Connect with WTTW News on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. WTTW News is committed to maintaining the highest level of trust, independence, professionalism and integrity in service of our members, viewers and community. Read the WTTW News Standards.
WTTW News team
Bridgette Adu-Wadier
Bridgette Adu-Wadier is the Minow Fellow for WTTW News and “Chicago Tonight.” She graduated from Northwestern University with a B.S. in Journalism and with a double major in Political Science. During her time at Northwestern, Bridgette produced and reported for both national and Chicago-based organizations such as the Triibe. Before joining WTTW News, she interned for NBC News NOW and C-SPAN. When she’s not looking for story ideas, Bridgette can be found listening to an audiobook or trying out a new recipe from her cookbook collection. Made possible by the late Trustee Emeritus Newton N. Minow, the WTTW Minow Fellowship in Journalism Excellence offers a postgraduate student the opportunity for hands-on work in research, writing, reporting, and producing for WTTW News, WTTW.com/news, and “Chicago Tonight.”
Eunice Alpasan
Eunice Alpasan is a reporter for WTTW
News. Previously, she was a Minow Fellow at WTTW News and “Chicago Tonight.” She graduated from the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she produced on Illinois Public Media’s live radio news talk show “The 21st.”
She also founded the student chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association at UIUC. She enjoys visiting
breweries and independent theaters in the city and supporting local artists. Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5362
Abena Bediako
Abena Bediako is a Judy and John
McCarter Family Fellow for WTTW News and “Chicago Tonight.” She is a Chicago native and returned home in 2017
after graduating from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a BA in English. Abena recently received an MA in
Journalism from DePaul University. While at DePaul, she had the pleasure of working for the online magazine, 14
East, as an associate editor. Prior to joining WTTW News, she worked as a Civic Reporting Fellow at City Bureau.
Those who know Abena well, know when she’s not reading the news, she’s glued to her Kindle. Made possible by
Judy and John McCarter, a WTTW Trustee Emeritus, the fellowship offers students and recent college graduates the
opportunity for hands-on work in research, writing, reporting and producing for WTTW News, wttw.com/news and
“Chicago Tonight.” Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5626.
Nick Blumberg
Nick Blumberg is a correspondent for WTTW News. A Chicago
native, he regularly appears as a reporter and fill-in host on Chicago Tonight and the Week in Review. His
Emmy- and Peter Lisagor Award-winning work for WTTW News covers transportation, politics and government,
labor issues, investigative stories, and more. A graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at
Arizona State University, Nick joined WTTW after nearly five years as a reporter, producer, and fill-in host
with KJZZ, the NPR member station in Phoenix. He's reported stories in collaboration with ProPublica and
Block Club Chicago, and his work has also appeared on NPR, PBS, and the BBC. Contact: [email protected],
773-509-5434.
Paul Caine
Paul Caine is a producer for “Chicago Tonight.” He began
his journalism career at The Chicago Reporter where he won several awards, including the National
Association of Black Journalists Award for outstanding coverage of the black condition; the Peter Lisagor
Award for public service journalism; the Ohio State Award for excellence in educational and public affairs
broadcasting; and the Lincoln University of Missouri Unity Award for outstanding coverage of minority
issues. He also worked as a senior correspondent and editor for Reuters in Hong Kong, and as a sports editor
and writer for the Associated Press in London. Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5435.
Nicole Cardos
Nicole Cardos is the line
producer for “Chicago Tonight.” Her first journalistic gig included writing and producing video stories for
her college newspaper at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She went on to work for the school’s alumni
news magazines, where she dug through archival material and wrote obituaries. She later produced segments
for “Chicago Tonight” as a Newt N. Minow Fellow while working towards a master’s degree in journalism from
Northwestern University. She took a short hiatus from Chicago to be a show producer for ABC affiliate WQAD
in the Quad Cities, but returned to join the “Chicago Tonight” team. Nicole is a fan of history, horror
films and music that prominently features the banjo. Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5367.
Heather Cherone
Heather Cherone is a senior
reporter for WTTW News covering Chicago
and Illinois politics, based out of Chicago City Hall. A native of the Edgewater neighborhood of
Chicago, and a graduate of Kenwood Academy, Heather has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Northwestern
University. After covering politics in Los Angeles and Oakland, California, Heather helped launch DNAinfo
Chicago and covered City Hall for the late, lamented news organization before working as The Daily Line’s
City Hall reporter and managing editor. Contact: [email protected],
773-569-1863.
Erica Demarest
Erica Demarest is the digital
editor for WTTW News. She previously covered crime, criminal courts and breaking news for DNAinfo Chicago.
She was a digital news producer for WGN TV, senior reporter at Windy City Times and copy editor at the
National Culinary Review. A former Fulbright Scholar, Erica holds a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest
University and a master’s degree from Northwestern University. Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5373.
Brandis Friedman
Brandis Friedman is the Alexandra and John Nichols Chief Correspondent and
Anchor for “Chicago Tonight” and “Black Voices.” Friedman came to WTTW in 2013 from WBBM Newsradio
where she was an anchor and reporter. She has also worked as a special projects producer and fill-in
reporter for WJLA-TV/ABC-7 in Washington, D.C.; as deputy communications director for the House Committee on
Science and Technology; and as a reporter for the NBC affiliates in Little Rock, Arkansas and Wichita Falls,
Texas. Friedman grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, graduated from Dillard University in New Orleans, and
received her master’s degree from The Journalism School at Columbia University in New York. She also earned
three regional Emmy Awards during her time in Washington, D.C. Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5492.
Katelyn Haas
Katelyn Haas is the social media editor for WTTW News. She comes to WTTW from the Chicago Sun-Times, where she worked for over three years as an audience engagement specialist. Before that she was a digital producer for CBS Baltimore. A graduate of Indiana University, she was raised in the southwest suburbs, but now resides in Lake View. You can usually find her reading, checking out a new local restaurant or seeing live music around the city. Contact: [email protected], 777-509-5403.
Shelby Hawkins
Shelby Hawkins joined
“Chicago Tonight” as an associate producer in 2024. Previously, she worked as a production assistant for
NPR’s Morning Edition and Up First in Washington, D.C. Most of her work, however, is Chicago-centric.
She co-produced the 2021 documentary “Sankofa Chicago,” which won best educational film at Cannes World
Film Festival. The Wisconsin-native holds an MA in Civic Media from Columbia College Chicago, and a BA
in Multimedia Photojournalism from the same institution. She describes herself as a passionate and
empathetic journalist who likes to spend her free time exploring neighborhoods and practicing yoga.
Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5518
Joanna Hernandez
Joanna Hernandez is a
correspondent for
“Chicago Tonight” who is excited to return to Chicago after reporting in New York for five
years. At News 12, she shot, wrote and edited stories and eventually became the station’s
morning breaking news reporter, covering a variety of topics and launching the station’s first
digital reporting initiative. Hernandez was raised in the Rogers Park neighborhood and has a
passion for telling stories about the people and organizations making an impact in their
communities. She received her degree from Columbia College Chicago. Contact:
[email protected], 773 509-5621.
Crystin Immel
Crystin Immel is the
managing editor of television news for “Chicago Tonight” and WTTW News. A native of Wisconsin,
she moved to Chicago in 2009 for college. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago in May
2013 with a BA in Journalism and Political Science. Crystin is also a former intern and McCarter
Fellow for Chicago Tonight. Like any true Wisconsinite, Crystin is a die-hard fan of the
greatest sports teams in the country – as far as she’s concerned – the Packers and the Brewers.
Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5378.
Michael Izquierdo
Michael Izquierdo is
the social media producer for WTTW News. They graduated from The New School in May 2020 with a
BA in Journalism + Design and have since freelanced for the Chicago Reader, Cicero
Independiente, City Bureau and more. Michael is also a portrait and concert photographer,
capturing your favorite artists and Chicagoans. Aside from journalism, they love to chat about
pop culture, current makeup obsessions, and sharing new music. Contact: [email protected].
Dan Lambert
Dan Lambert is the
managing editor of digital news for WTTW News. He joined the team in 2022. A native of the
southwest suburbs, he graduated from the University of Chicago with a BA in political science
and Northwestern University with a master’s degree in journalism. He started his career as a
community reporter and editor in the south suburbs and South Side neighborhoods. Previously, he
worked as a digital news editor at the Chicago Tribune and as a senior content editor for the
Tribune’s suburban newspapers. Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5521.
Ava Odom Martin
Ava Odom Martin is
the assignment manager for “Chicago Tonight.” She joined our team in 2015. Born and raised on
Chicago’s South Side, she has been in television production for more than 30 years. A graduate
of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with a bachelor’s degree in Radio/Television, she
began her career at startup station KSTS in San Jose, California. After returning to Chicago to
produce the nationally syndicated program “Ebony/Jet Showcase” for six years, she went on to
work for many broadcast and corporate video productions throughout the Chicago area. Ava has
many awards in her career and considers herself a perfect fit as the “air-traffic controller” of
our newsroom. Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5530.
Matt Masterson
Matt Masterson is a
reporter for WTTW News who occasionally appears on “Chicago Tonight,” covering education and
criminal justice. A native of Buffalo, New York, he got his start in reporting as sports
editor of The Daily Cardinal student newspaper while an undergrad at the University of Wisconsin
where he earned his BA in Journalism along with multiple Wisconsin Newspaper Awards for his
weekly column. Following graduation, Matt continued covering sports in Madison for the Wisconsin
State Journal before becoming the city reporter of The Waukesha Freeman in suburban Milwaukee.
He has a soft spot for sports teams that just can’t win the big game (Buffalo Bills, Buffalo
Sabres) and suspects he’ll fit in just fine living down the block from Wrigley Field. Contact:
@byMattMasterson,
[email protected], 773-509-5431.
Blair Paddock
Blair Paddock is an
associate producer with “Chicago Tonight.” They started off at the program as a Minow Fellow in
2020 after graduating from Columbia College Chicago. Prior to joining the station, they interned
at a variety of places, from NASA to WBEZ to the Chicago Sun-Time’s Homicide Watch Project.
Outside of journalism, they love to bake cakes, go fishing and play a mean game of pool.
Jared Rutecki
Jared Rutecki is an
investigative reporter and producer for WTTW News. He comes to WTTW from the Illinois Answers
Project and Better Government Association, where he worked for almost seven years as an
investigative reporter and data coordinator covering public payroll, pensions and public safety.
Before that, he was a web producer at The Columbus Dispatch. Jared was an Annenberg National
Health Fellow at the University of Southern California in 2021. He has won local and national
reporting honors including a Chicago/Midwest Emmy, the Sigma Delta Chi and Eugene S. Pulliam
First Amendment awards. Jared is a graduate of Ohio University and Otterbein University.
Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5372.
Marc Shaykin
Marc Shaykin is the
director of “Chicago Tonight.” An Emmy-nominated director, Marc has been working freelance DGA
positions in Chicago for the last 24 years. In addition to working at WTTW, he has worked at
ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and Harpo Studios. He has also taught at Kennedy King College and at Tribeca
Flashpoint Media Arts Academy. During the summers, Marc also directs a live video feed of
musical acts at The Ravinia Music Festival. A graduate of Northern Illinois University, Marc was
raised in the far south suburbs, but now he and his wife live in the northern suburbs and have
three children. Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5550.
Jay T. Smith
Jay T. Smith is the news
director for WTTW News and executive producer for “Chicago Tonight.” In more than 20 years at WTTW,
Smith has served as the producer of “Chicago Tonight: The Week in Review” and “The Cheap Show,” and
produced a number of “Chicago Stories” documentaries. He also was the producer of WTTW’s national
(PBS) series “HandyMa’am with Beverly DeJulio.” Smith has received numerous awards for his work,
including seven Chicago/Midwest Emmys and five Peter Lisagor Awards from the Chicago chapter of the
Society of Professional Journalists. Smith is a graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington.
Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5607.
Josh Terry
Josh Terry is the newsletter
producer for WTTW News. A native of West Michigan, he moved to Chicago in 2009 to attend Loyola
University Chicago and never left. He got his start in journalism as an intern for The A.V. Club in
2012. Since then, he’s worked as a journalist and staff writer for RedEye Chicago, VICE, and Netflix as
well as a freelancer for too many places to count. He runs the music and culture newsletter No
Expectations. An avid fan of the Chicago Cubs, the Loyola Ramblers, and the Chicago Bulls, he can also
recommend a good indie rock band, a solid arthouse movie, or a great local restaurant to anyone.
Contact: [email protected].
Marc Vitali
Marc Vitali is the JCS Fund of the DuPage Foundation Arts Correspondent. A native
of Philadelphia, he’s lived in Cook County for 27 years and is a 25-year veteran of WTTW. His stories and
profiles have appeared on Wild Chicago, The Golden Apple Awards, and Artbeat Chicago. He’s won five Midwest
Emmy Awards and shared a Peter Lisagor Award from the Chicago Headline Club. He is an Arts Journalism Fellow
with the USC Annenberg School of Journalism in Los Angeles. Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5495.
Patty Wetli
Patty Wetli is a reporter for
WTTW News covering urban nature, the
environment and other topics. An Ohio native, Patty came to Chicago eons ago to attend grad school
at Northwestern, and never left. She got her start in journalism reporting on the telecommunications
industry and after some career twists and turns, was part of the team that launched DNAinfo Chicago, where
she covered neighborhood news throughout that website’s too-brief existence. She loves the outdoors – from
National Parks to the view of the Chicago River from the Lawrence Avenue bridge – and will always stop to
photograph a pretty flower. Contact: [email protected], 773-509-5623.
