Chicago, IL (April 22, 2026) – The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) has announced its 2026 Hall of Fame class, and NBC 5 Chicago (WMAQ-TV) / Telemundo Chicago (WSNS-TV) Senior Vice President of News Sally Ramirez has been selected as one of this year’s distinguished inductees.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to be inducted into the NAHJ Hall of Fame,” said Ramirez. “NAHJ represents a legacy of journalists who have expanded opportunity, elevated coverage, and insisted that our communities be seen and heard with depth, accuracy, and truth. This recognition belongs to the mentors who opened doors, the colleagues who challenged me, and the journalists, both past and present, who continue pushing our industry forward and building what comes next.”
“Throughout her decorated career, Sally’s vision has shaped journalists, strengthened newsrooms, and ensured our communities always receive the thoughtful, trusted reporting they deserve,” said Kevin Cross, President/General Manager, NBCUniversal Local Chicago. “Being welcomed into the NAHJ Hall of Fame not only reflects Sally’s extraordinary achievements, but also the profound influence she continues to have on journalism across the local and national landscape.”
“Sally’s dedicated leadership and passion for journalism has served communities, inspired newsrooms and developed considerable talent throughout her impressive career in local and national news,” added Jose Cancela, President of Telemundo Station Group. “Her induction into the NAHJ Hall of Fame is a very deserved recognition of the transformative impact she has made and for her commitment to our industry and its people.”
With more than 30 years of local/national broadcast journalism experience, Ramirez returned to her hometown of Chicago, Ill. in 2023 to restructure and lead the newsrooms at two of the city’s most respected media properties: NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago.
Prior to joining NBC 5 Chicago & Telemundo Chicago, Ramirez was Executive Producer for CNBC’s The News with Shepard Smith, where she led newsgathering and production. In addition to increasing viewership, Ramirez artfully established successful relationships with multiple NBCUniversal national and international news outlets, enabling “The News with Shepard Smith” to be the first program in NBCUniversal News Group history to utilize content from all properties and platforms in one evening newscast.
From 2016-2020, Ramirez was the Executive News Director at KHOU-TV in Houston, Texas, where she transformed newsroom culture, focusing on innovative and interactive content. Ramirez also successfully led her team through the massive challenges of Hurricane Harvey, which destroyed the TV station and required an immediate relocation to a temporary broadcast facility. Through her resilience and vision, Ramirez designed and transitioned KHOU into a state-of-the-art news operation, allowing the station to better serve modern audiences across multiple devices.
Prior to her life-changing stint in Houston, Ramirez spent 17 years as Executive Producer, then Assistant News Director at KGW-TV in Portland, Ore. Earlier, she held several editorial and management positions across the country, including as Executive Producer at Chicago’s WGN-TV.
Ramirez is the recipient of numerous industry awards, including five Edward R. Murrow Awards, four Emmy Awards and the Alfred I. du-Pont-Columbia University Award, among others. In addition, in 2025,, she earned the “Chicago Latina of the Year” award via Chicago Latina Magazine & Foundation.
Ramirez is a bilingual, first-generation Mexican-American who grew up in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood and is a graduate of Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communications at DePaul University, where she received the “Distinguished Alumni Award” from DePaul’s Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence.
Ramirez, along with Noticias Telemundo / NBC Nightly News Saturday anchor José Díaz-Balart, San Francisco Chronicle photo/video journalist Carlos Avila Gonzalez and PBS Public Editor Ricardo Sandoval-Palos,will be officially be inducted into the 2026 Hall of Fame class at the NAHJ Hall of Fame Gala on Saturday, July 25, during the 2026 NAHJ Conference & Expo in New Orleans, La.
ABOUT NBCUNIVERSAL LOCAL CHICAGO
NBCUniversal Local Chicago, a part of NBCUniversal Local, is the home of NBC 5 (WMAQ-TV) and Telemundo Chicago (WSNS-TV). Together, the duopoly serves diverse English- and Spanish-speaking audiences in the third largest U.S. television market. The NBC and Telemundo-owned stations deliver the latest local news, consumer, and investigative reports across multiple platforms, including linear TV, streaming, and digital. Their coverage includes Chicago’s most accurate forecast, extensive local sports coverage, original documentaries and series, and lifestyle and entertainment programming through “Chicago Today.” All original content is available on-air, digitally via NBCChicago.com and TelemundoChicago.com ,and via the stations’ mobile apps. Viewers can also access the NBC 5 Chicago News 24/7 live streaming channel on Peacock, Roku, Samsung TV, Amazon Fire TV, and other supported platforms.
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