Laura S. Washington

Laura S. Washington is a journalist based in Chicago, with a career spanning print, broadcast, and digital media. Washington specializes in media-related issues, African-American affairs, local and national politics, race, racism, and social justice. She serves as a contributing columnist for the Chicago Tribune and as a political analyst at ABC-7, Chicago's ABC-owned station. She also co-hosts the Sun-Times political show, "At the Table," with Lynn Sweet. Washington's journalism is informed by her personal experiences growing up in a segregated Chicago community, which shaped her commitment to highlighting issues of race and inequality.

Washington's career includes roles across the media landscape. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from The Medill School at Northwestern University, where she has also taught and lectured. Washington was appointed deputy press secretary to Mayor Harold Washington, Chicago's first Black mayor, and has stated that her time in city government provided valuable insights into the workings of government. She has served as a producer for the investigative unit at CBS 2 Chicago and as a correspondent for "Chicago Tonight" on WTTW-TV. Washington was editor and publisher of "The Chicago Reporter," an investigative monthly focused on racial issues and urban affairs. She has also served as the Ida B. Wells-Barnett University Professor at DePaul University and as a fellow at the DePaul Humanities Center.

Washington has held visiting fellowships at the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics and is frequently quoted and featured in national media, including Time Magazine, the Associated Press, New York Times, NBC Nightly News, MSNBC, PBS NewsHour, and the BBC. She has been a commentator on National Public Radio and Chicago Public Radio. Washington has noted her early adoption of multimedia journalism practices.

Her work in journalism has been recognized with numerous honors, including two Chicago Emmy Awards, the Peter Lisagor Award, the Studs Terkel Award for Community Journalism, and the Racial Justice Award from the YWCA. Washington is a founding inductee to the Medill School of Journalism Hall of Achievement and an inaugural inductee to the Chicago Women's Journalism Hall of Fame. The Chicago Community Trust awarded her a Community Service Fellowship for service and leadership in the nonprofit sector. Newsweek named Washington one of the nation's "100 People to Watch" in the 21st Century.

Washington is a frequent lecturer and moderator for local and national audiences. Her civic involvement includes board service for The Field Museum, The Arts Club of Chicago, The Woods Fund, Block Club Chicago, Global Girl Media-Chicago, the Chicago Headline Club Foundation, the Investigative Project on Race and Equity, and the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. Throughout her career, Washington has maintained that covering racial and social justice is essential journalism, establishing her as a trusted voice in American public affairs.