ABC Names Doug Whitmire & Nneka Nwosu Assistant New Directors

News veterans Doug Whitmire and Nneka Nwosu Faison will serve in the positions of assistant news director for ABC 7 Eyewitness News, it was announced TODAY by Jennifer Graves, vice president of News, ABC 7 Chicago.

In their new assistant news director roles, Whitmire will oversee news gathering, day-of newscasts and operations. Faison will oversee digital, including ABC 7's new streaming newscasts, specials and storytelling.

ABC 7 President and General Manager John Idler said, "The collaboration of two outstanding individuals sharing insight and experience will extend ABC 7's legacy of excellence and continue to set the standard for great journalism in Chicago."

According to Graves, "I'm thrilled to welcome Doug and Nneka to these critical news management positions. The combination of their leadership skills, news acumen, dedication to storytelling and commitment to the community make them the perfect choices to help lead Eyewitness News."

Emmy® Award-winning producer Doug Whitmire has been an essential part of the ABC 7 Eyewitness News team for 18 years, joining the station in 2003. Since then he has risen through the ranks, serving each role with distinction, from news writer/producer and executive producer/morning news to his current position as executive producer of the 10 p.m. newscast. Under his leadership, ABC 7 Eyewitness News at 10 p.m. has been honored with four regional Emmy Awards for Best Newscast in the past five years.

During his tenure as executive producer, Whitmire has been at the helm of the station's election night coverage, Chicago Cubs WORLD SERIES Championship coverage and coverage of multiple tornado outbreaks that included open-ended coverage of breaking weather.

Whitmire started his career in broadcasting as a radio anchor/host and moved to television as a reporter/producer at WTVG-TV in Toledo, Ohio. He is a graduate of Bowling Green State University.

Nneka Nwosu Faison, a Harvard University Nieman Foundation for Journalism Fellow and Emmy Award-winning producer, joins ABC 7 from WCVB-TV in Boston. In her role as executive producer at WCVB-TV, Faison led the award-winning newsmagazine program "Chronicle" to double-digit growth in key demographics. During the pandemic, she also created several interactive show franchises including "History Quiz," "Cooking at Home," and "Viewer's Choice." She joined WCVB-TV in 2013 as a producer for "Chronicle" and was promoted to managing editor before taking over leadership of the show as executive producer.

Prior to WCVB-TV, Faison was a reporter/multimedia journalist for WTNH-TV in New Haven, Connecticut.

She has also taught a course called Video Storytelling for Social Media as an adjunct professor at Harvard University Extension School.

Faison was recently named one of Boston's Most Influential Women in 2021 and was chosen as a "40 under 40" business leader in the Boston Business Journal. She graduated from Princeton University and received a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in New York City.

Whitmire will begin his assistant news director duties on Dec. 27, and Faison will begin her new role at ABC 7 on Jan. 24 after relocating from Boston.

To post a comment, you must register and login.