Jennifer Graves, the longtime head of the newsroom at top-rated WLS-Channel 7, announced her retirement on Tuesday after more than 32 years at the station.
Graves, 62, joined ABC 7 in 1992 as an executive news producer, and she was promoted to assistant news director in 1998. She was promoted again to be the station’s vice president of news, or news director, in 2001 — shortly before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks — and she directs all news coverage for Channel 7’s on-air and digital platforms, including breaking news, event coverage and news planning.
On Graves’ watch, ABC 7 has continued to produce Chicago’s top-rated newscasts. Longtime media blogger and columnist Robert Feder in 2019 named Graves the third most powerful woman in Chicago journalism.
Graves, who is set to leave the station in late June, told the Tribune that “when I started at ABC 7 in 1992, I didn’t dream that I’d be here for more than three decades.”
“I’ve most enjoyed being part of this team and covering Chicago,” she said. “This is a tremendous news town. I’m proud of the news staff and the content they produce each day. And I’ve enjoyed watching their careers take off.”
Asked what the pivotal moments of her career have been, Graves said “those that come to mind include 9/11, which happened when I had just started as acting news director, the election of President Barack Obama and his first election night victory party on the Chicago lakefront, and the pandemic. Shifting our newsroom to a remote operation was challenging but we knew the audience needed all of the information we could provide. I can’t look back without mentioning the thrilling sports championships and victory celebrations that were incredibly fun to produce.”
In a statement, ABC 7’s general manager, John Idler, said that Graves’ “reputation for journalistic excellence has made her one of the most influential news leaders in Chicago for more than three decades.”
“Her news judgment, a passionate commitment to fairness and tireless work ethic are her legacy,” Idler said in the statement. “These attributes have contributed to ABC 7’s longstanding position as Chicago’s No. 1 news. We want to acknowledge her unwavering dedication and her commitment to keeping Chicagoland viewers at the forefront of everything we do. We can’t thank her enough and wish her nothing but the best.”
A graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, Graves previously worked as a producer at a station in St. Louis before spending four years at a station in Atlanta from 1988 until 1992.
In retirement, Graves said she plans to spend time “decompressing from the 24/7 news cycle and spending more time with my husband and adult twin daughters.”
ABC 7 did not immediately announce a replacement. The station promoted Doug Whitmire and Nneka Nwosu to be assistant news directors in late 2021.
Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
