Amanda Vinicky, the longtime WTTW political reporter who has led the station’s “Chicago Tonight Week in Review,” is stepping down.
Vinicky received her master’s degree in Public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois Springfield and has degrees in political science and journalism from the University of Illinois at Irbana-Champaign.
Highlights
- Amanda Vinicky served as an Illinois News Broadcaster Association board member for around three years.
- On March 22, 2025, Amanda announced on her Twitter handle that she was leaving WTTW and starting her new career.
- During her tenure at WTTW, she had an estimated annual salary of $76,789.
She started her career in the Chicago suburbs as a newspaper reporter.
Later, she co-hosted WSEC-TV’s “CapitolView” and was a regular analyst on the “State Week” roundtable.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she was a correspondent at the Daily Herald from 2003 to 2004 and an Illinois News Broadcaster Association board member from 2008 to 2011.
NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and The Takeaway have featured her work and analysis.
She has garnered top honors from the Illinois Associated Press and the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors.
Vinicky joined “Chicago Tonight” in 2017 after spending a decade as the Statehouse Bureau Chief for NPR Illinois and the Illinois Public Radio Network.
Political Journalist Amanda Vinicky Decided To Leave WTTW After Eight Years Tenure
Veteran political journalist Amanda Vinicky decided to leave WTTW after an eight-year tenure at the Chicago-based PBS station.
Most recently, she hosted Chicago Tonight: Week in Review, a weekly political analysis that discusses current events and significant issues shaping the city and the nation.
Her official Twitter handle announced her departure on March 22, 2024. However, she has not revealed where she will start her new career.
Getting ready to report from the #RNC in a few minutes. Tune into our two, LIVE shows at 5:30 and 10 pm. @wttw has you covered on the political front! pic.twitter.com/aQqR7d6LQ0
— Amanda Vinicky (@AmandaVinicky) July 16, 2024
On Twitter, she expressed gratitude for her time at WTTW. She wrote,
A special – and final – time hosting @wttw’s weekly recap, before a new career adventure. It’s been an honor, truly. Tune in at 7 pm, with guests @rap30, @BpopeTV, @ndblumberg and @byaliceyin, produced by Paul Caine with @CrystinImmel and @jaysmithwttw in charge.
Amanda Vinicky
Amanda’s fans congratulated her and gave her best wishes for her new journey. One user wrote,
Wow, excited for you! Congratulations on finishing one chapter and starting another.
Adriana Colindres
Another user wrote,
I’m going to miss your smiling face and cheerful attitude at WTTW! And on top of always being positive, you’re such a pro. Best of luck!
Andrea Guthmann
The third user wrote,
Congratulations on a great run at Ch 11. Thanks for having me on the show!
Rob Hart
Her final episode as host of Week in Review aired at 7 p.m. on WTTW. It featured a panel discussion with journalists, including Rap 30, BpopeTV, ndblumberg, and byaliceyin.
The episode was produced by Paul Caine, with contributions from Crystin Immel and Jay Smith.
While at WTTW, she earned an average annual salary of $76,789. Her estimated net worth is around $1 million as of 2025.
With Vinicky’s departure, journalist Nick Blumberg has been named as her successor for Week in Review. Blumberg has been with WTTW since 2014, contributing to political and investigative reporting.
His experience covering Chicago and Illinois politics positions him well to take over the role and continue the station’s tradition of in-depth political journalism.
Amanda Vinicky Left IPR To Join WTTW-TV In 2016
In November 2016, Amanda Vinikcy announced she would leave IPR (Illinois Public Radio Statehouse) in early January 2017 for a position with WTTW-TV’s “Chicago Tonight” program.
At the time, Vinicky was a correspondent on St. Louis on the Air on many occasions and a correspondent on local newscasts.
A week after her departure was announced, she joined the program to discuss what she had learned over her tenure with Illinois Public Radio and reflect on Illinois politics.
Amanda said that she won’t be leaving political reporting. She added,
“I have been working with the program for the past couple of years, giving updates from the Illinois capitol on important session activity and when the governor does something big or the General Assembly takes action, I have been filing reports for ‘Chicago Tonight,'” Vinicky said. “This is more of that. I will be back in Springfield some, but in Chicago on a full time basis.”
Amanda Vinicky
Additional Information
- Amanda was born to her mother, Sue, and her father, Jim Vinicky. Sadly, her father left the world at 71 after a long battle with leukemia.
- Her brother, Jimmy Vinicky, married Blakely Vinicky Ainsworth, a public relations manager at GTB and owner of This Blond Life. They reside in Jacksonville, Florida, with their two daughters.
- Amanda’s father regularly rose early and filled everyone’s favorite mug with hot water so they’d be warm for coffee when people made their way to the kitchen.
