Tanja Babich Biography
Tanja Babich is an American journalist and is currently an anchor for ABC 7 Chicago’s Eyewitness News morning newscast from 4:30 AM until 7 AM and again from 11 AM until noon. She joined the station as a general assignment reporter and contributing anchor in January 2014. In January 2014, Tanja was promoted to morning newscast anchor and was later added to the midday newscast in June 2018.
Babich is the Canadian-born daughter of immigrant parents from Serbia and Chile, where she came to the United States as a first-generation college student. She proudly confessed her heritage and lived the “American Dream” when she became a United States citizen in April 2013.
Tanja is a graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government. She later pursued her Masters’ Degree program at Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism.
After her undergraduate degree, Babich nearly became an intelligence officer. However, she changed the direction of her career after a fortuitously timed public speaking engagement captured the attention of a city official, who suggested a career in broadcasting instead.
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Prior to joining Eyewitness News, Tanja anchored Syracuse, New York’s top-rated morning newscast on WSYR-TV for three years. Before that, she juggled morning news reporting with hosting the market’s only weekday morning talk show, Bridge Street, which highlighted community events, people, and trends.
Babich’s most memorable news experience involved an almost hour-and-a-half-long flight with the U.S.A.F. Thunderbirds, at one point, clocking 9.4Gs! Her other career highlights include following Pope Francis on his first visit to the U.S., reporting from President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009, and helping thousands of tradesmen and women track down the person responsible for half-a-billion dollars of labor union losses in the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme.
Most notably, Tanja’s career has challenged and honored Chicago-area viewers to navigate the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the modern civil rights movement.
Tanja is well aware of the privilege afforded by her work and tries to pay it forward. She is a board member of HFS Chicago Scholars, an organization that provides financial and mentoring support to deserving area high school students. In addition, she is the founder of Lake Affect Chicago, a kids’ camping retreat in partnership with The Wood Family Foundation and Camp Wandawega in Elkhorn, WI.
Tanja has also enjoyed lending her voice to narrate the stories of exceptional women in history on two episodes of the Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls podcast.
She is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
Tanja Babich Age
How old is Tanja Babich? Babich is 43 years old as of 2023. She was born on June 29, 1980, in Toronto, Canada. In addition, she celebrates her birthday on June 29th every year.
Tanja Babich Husband
Babich has been married to Paul Durbin since July 7, 2018. The couple had a rooftop wedding ceremony in Chicago, Illinois. Babich was dressed in a beautiful midi-length white wedding dress, while her husband was dressed in a blue suit.
Tanja Babich Family
Babich was born to a Serbian father and a Chilean mother. She has a sister named Emily with whom she is very close. However, she has disclosed the names of her family members.
Tanja Babich Height
Babich stands at a height of approximately 5 feet 3 inches (1.6 m) tall.
Tanja Babich Net Worth
Babich has an estimated net worth of around $1 million – $5 million. Her income is mainly attributed to her career as a journalist.
Tanja Babich Salary
Babich receives an annual salary of approximately $72, 600.