Dick Johnson, a beloved and award-winning journalist, passed away in March 2022 at the age of 66. His career in Chicago television news spanned nearly four decades, leaving a lasting impact on the industry.

Journalism Career and Legacy

Johnson began his career at WTHR-TV in Indianapolis before moving to KDFW-TV in Dallas, where he anchored the 5 p.m. news and served as a political reporter. He joined ABC 7 Chicago in 1982, where he spent 20 years as an anchor and reporter before moving to NBC 5 Chicago in 2002.

At NBC 5, Johnson co-anchored NBC 5 News Today and later the weekend evening newscasts. He also reported for the weekday 10 p.m. news, earning a reputation for his thorough, fair, and engaging reporting style.

Notable Coverage and Achievements

Throughout his career, Johnson covered major national and international events, including:

  • The assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan while aboard Air Force Two with Vice President George H.W. Bush
  • The return of the Iranian hostages at West Point
  • Ryan White’s battle with AIDS
  • The famine in Ethiopia
  • The construction of Comiskey Park and the United Center
  • The Chicago school reform movement
  • The Great Loop Flood
  • The rape trial of boxer Mike Tyson
  • The Chicago connection in the murder spree of Andrew Cunanan

    • Johnson’s work earned him numerous accolades, including national and regional Emmy Awards, a duPont-Columbia Award, and a Peabody Award.

    Personal Life and Tributes

    Johnson was being treated at a hospital in northern Michigan for complications related to a respiratory condition in his final days. He is survived by his wife and three grown children, as well as his newsroom family and countless colleagues who admired him.

    Colleagues and friends remembered Johnson as a smart, thorough, and nimble journalist who delivered facts with fairness and great writing. His humor and kindness were as much a part of his legacy as his professional achievements.