WBEZ’s Lauren Chooljian Says Farewell To Chicago And City Hall

Lauren Chooljian on Chicago Tonight 2
Courtesy of WTTW, Chicago Tonight
Lauren Chooljian on Chicago Tonight 2
Courtesy of WTTW, Chicago Tonight

WBEZ’s Lauren Chooljian Says Farewell To Chicago And City Hall

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The classic trope of a Chicago City Hall reporter is an older, cynical, cigar-chomping man; someone steeped in the lore of the the city, its government, and its colorful characters. Someone who knew where the bodies were buried, spent many a late night developing sources and had the bar bills to prove it.

But a few years ago, a reporter who was the exact opposite of that image stepped into that plum job here at WBEZ. 

Lauren Chooljian was a young, vivacious east-coast transplant who would more likely be seen in a jumpsuit than a trench coat. She dove into the politics beat headfirst and quickly became someone listeners could rely on for excellent reporting and context. 

Sadly, she’s leaving the WBEZ family at the end of this month, so we wanted to look back on her time covering the circus that is Chicago politics.