Anita Padilla

Anita Padilla
Born
Anita Padilla

Waukegan, Illinois, U.S.
EducationB.A. in Journalism from Columbia College and attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison
OccupationTelevision journalist/Author
Years active1989–present

Anita Padilla is an American television journalist best known as an anchor and reporter, covering stories that impact the lives of Chicagoans. She is a recipient of two Emmys.[1]

Early life

Padilla was born in Waukegan, Il a far northeastern suburb of metropolitan Chicago.[citation needed] She later moved to the Quad Cities (Iowa/Illinois), Orlando, Florida and New York City, NY.[citation needed] She currently works for Fox Chicago.[2]

Education

  • Columbia College Chicago, B.A. Broadcast Journalism
  • University of Wisconsin, Madison, General Studies
  • Madison Area Technical College, General Studies

Career

Padilla's first reporting work was as an intern for Bill Kurtis at WBBM-TV. She then worked in radio as an anchor and at Shadow traffic as a traffic editor.[3] At WFTV in Orlando, Florida, she helped to run a news bureau. In 1995, she earned her first Emmy Awards for breaking news coverage of an armed robbery and carjacking in Orlando by a murderer. In 2000, she received a second Emmy for her role in a New Year's Eve Millennium celebration piece while at WMAQ Channel 5 in Chicago. She has reported on many high-profile stories in Chicago, including exclusive interviews with Betty Loren-Maltese on the day of her racketeering conviction and again when she was sentenced to eight years in federal prison. She also covered former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan's battle with cancer, the unexpected loss of his young daughter and his wife's heart attack.[4]

In 2013, she was the commencement speaker at Northwestern College. "Anita Padilla will bring a flair of excitement as our 2013 commencement speaker," commented President Schumacher. "She's a local success story having grown up in the Chicago suburbs, and we have no doubt that she will inspire our graduates as they celebrate their own personal accomplishments."[5]

On December 27, 2023, Anita announced her retirement from journalism on FOX 32's Good Day Chicago but continues to maintain a presence on social media.

Awards

  • Emmy awards 1995 and 2000[5]

References

  1. ^ "Anita Padilla - FOX 32 News Chicago". Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  2. ^ Lazare, Lewis. "Kori Chambers and Anita Padilla re-signed at WFLD-Channel 32". blogs.suntimes.com/. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  3. ^ "Anita Padilla Video". Ovguide.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Anita Padilla". myfoxchicago.com. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  5. ^ a b Pollastrini, Laura (5 June 2013). "Northwestern College Announces Anita Padilla, FOX 32 Chicago Reporter, to be 2013 Commencement Speaker". Patch.com. Retrieved 10 July 2015.