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, Ga. Hope is married and resides in the Chicago area.
Leah's Stories
Antioch Missionary Baptist Church begins rebuilding after 2022 Good Friday fire
Two years after a devastating fire destroyed Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Englewood, the community is ready to rebuild.
Mayor Johnson reversing plans to slash funding for Chicago police consent decree positions in budget
Mayor Brandon Johnson is changing his tune on budget cuts that could have landed Chicago in legal trouble.
Chicago Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Parade marches down Michigan Avenue
It's a magical weekend in Chicago as we ring in the holiday season!
10 kids have adoptions made official in Chicago in honor of National Adoption Day
Several families are welcoming their newest members, whose adoptions were finalized Friday at the Daley Center downtown Chicago.
IL comptroller among those calling for Cook County judge to resign after suspected killer's release
A Cook County judge is facing harsh criticism for releasing a suspect from custody who later allegedly killed his wife.
Heart of Chicago shooting kills man driving on SW Side, baby also injured, CPD says
A 35-year-old man was killed and a 6-month-old baby was grazed in a shooting on Chicago's Southwest Side Wednesday morning, Chicago police said.
Video captures sound of gunshots in North Center shooting of retired Chicago police sergeant
A person of interest is in custody, and investigators are searching for a second person in connection with the shooting, CPD said.
Friends, family gather for funeral of fallen Chicago police Officer Martinez
Family and friends of Chicago police Officer Enrique Martinez gathered Monday for the slain officer's funeral.
Budget hearing focuses on Chicago police funds as aldermen look to close nearly $1B deficit
A hearing Friday zeroed in on the Chicago Police Department's budget as the city faces a nearly billion-dollar budget shortfall.
Chinatown shooting: 2 killed in targeted armed robbery, Chicago police, alderman say
Two people were shot and killed in Chinatown Tuesday night, Chicago police said.