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
North Side church holding special service Wednesday for those grieving during holidays
While the holidays are a joyful time for so many people, this time of year can be extremely difficult for those grieving.
Decompression room provides calm setting for Chicago emergency management workers
At any given time, there are hundreds of call takers and dispatchers inside Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications. They help Chicagoans on what is often the worst moment of their lives.
Chicago-based Project Unloaded reaches out to teens in effort to reduce gun violence
Some young people in the Chicago area are taking action to try to reduce gun violence.
Family, friends remember fallen Oak Park Detective Allan Reddins during funeral
First responders from across the Chicago area joined loved ones to say final goodbyes to Oak Park Detective Allan Reddins Thursday.
Family, friends gather for visitation for fallen Oak Park Detective Allan Reddins
Family, friends and fellow first responders began the process of saying goodbye to fallen Oak Park Police Detective Allan Reddins on Wednesday.
Madison Street renaissance: Positive changes coming to Chicago's West Side
Some positive changes are coming to Chicago's West Side, especially along Madison Street. It's a street still feeling the effects from the aftermath of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Community leaders urge IL lawmakers to pass bill requiring officer training on hate crime incidents
Illinois Senate Bill 3552 would require all officers in Illinois be trained on how to identity these incidents and assist victims.
Former President Barack Obama speaks in Chicago at foundation's Democracy Forum
Former President Barack Obama is speaking at an event in Chicago on Thursday.
Light Up Lawndale organizers working on brighter display after vandals struck last year
A West Side community is ready to fight back against a possible "Grinch."
Free doula care to become available for pregnant Cook County Health patients in January
The hope is that program will reduce health disparities.