Leah Hope
Prior to joining ABC 7, Hope worked at KATU-TV, the ABC affiliate in Portland, Oregon. At KATU-TV, she anchored weekend evening newscasts and reported during the week. Previously, she held the same positions at WISH-TV in Indianapolis, Indiana. Hope began her broadcasting career as a general assignment reporter at WBOC-TV in Salisbury, Maryland.
Hope's work covering issues in the African American community has been honored on both national and local levels. In 2003, she won two awards from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for reports on a group of "Lost Boys" attacked by a Chicago gang and changes in the cosmetic industry that reflect the changing face of America. The NABJ Chicago Chapter awarded Hope the 2003 Russ Ewing Excellence in Journalism Award and recognized her again with the 2004 Excellence in Enterprise Journalism Award for a series of reports on affirmative action.
Hope received an Emmy award for the half-hour primetime special, "9/11/02 The New Homeland." She contributed to "People, Places, and Things You Should Know: Women in Science and Technology," which won the 2001 Gracie Award from American Women in Radio and Television. Hope has been awarded several Peter Lisagor Awards, given by the Society of Professional Journalists, for stories ranging from breaking news coverage to consumer and business reporting. She was honored by the Chicago chapter of the Council on Islamic American Relations with the 2007 Media Award for ethical reporting. Hope was honored as the 2013 recipient of the Diogenes Award for Excellence in media from the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois. In addition to that she won an Emmy for reporting during the 2012 NATO Summit.
Hope is as a visiting faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Florida. She is a Journalism Advisory Board member at Columbia College and belongs to several journalism organizations including: Investigative Reporters and Editors Association, the National Association of Black Journalists, American Women in Radio and Television, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Outside journalism, her community involvement includes work in the arts. She is a member of the Leadership Advisory Council at the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art and Instituto Cervantes of Chicago. Hope's charitable work took her to Minneapolis on bicycle to participate in the 2001 Chicago AIDS Ride. She has been involved in several breast cancer awareness campaigns to promote early detection.
Hope received her B.S. degree in Broadcast Journalism/Political Science from Syracuse University in New York. She is the great-granddaughter of John Hope; the first African American president of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Hope lives in the Chicago area.
Leah's Stories
Receiver will be appointed for shuttered Weiss, West Suburban hospitals to preserve assets: judge
A Cook County judge said he will appoint a receiver for shuttered Weiss Memorial Hospital and West Suburban Hospital to preserve assets and begin the process of appealing to restore Weiss' state license.
New Chicago exhibit shows what Emmett Till's life would have looked like had murder not happened
A new exhibit in Chicago uses modern images to explore what Emmett Till's life might have been had he not been killed in a racially motivated murder in 1955.
Mayor Johnson touts summer violence reduction as Chicago reports fewer homicides
Mayor Brandon Johnson says Chicago saw a significant reduction in violent crime during the summer of 2026, calling the decline in summer violent crime historic during his fourth summer in office.
Some UChicago doctors back bill requiring firearm manufacturers to help cover gun violence costs
A group of doctors from UChicago Medicine joined state lawmakers at a news conference to support proposed legislation known as the RIFL Act.
Northwestern staff member accused of possessing child porn: Lake County state's attorney
A staff member at Northwestern University is accused of possessing child pornography, the Lake County State's Attorney's Office said Thursday.
Father Michael Pfleger returns to St. Sabina after Archdiocese finds accusations unfounded
The congregation of St. Sabina Church gathered to welcome back Father Michael Pfleger, who spoke after being removed by the Archdiocese of Chicago over an abuse allegation that church officials later determined was unfounded.
Regular customer killed in Brighton Park gas station armed robbery, CPD says
A man was killed in an armed robbery at a gas station in Brighton Park Tuesday morning, Chicago police said.
Chicago woman accepts plea deal in partner's death, avoids murder trial
A Chicago woman charged with murder in the death of her partner accepted a plea deal Monday, avoiding a trial and returning home to her daughter, but leaving court with a felony conviction supporters say will have lasting consequences.
4 Chicago firefighters injured, 3 seriously, battling South Side fire, CFD says
At least four Chicago firefighters were injured, three seriously, battling a South Side fire in a vacant building Thursday, Chicago fire officials said.
Illinois law requires culturally competent hair care plans for foster children
Learning how to care for curly and textured hair can be a challenge for any parent. For foster and adoptive parents caring for children of a different ethnicity, a new Illinois law is aimed at making it easier.