JON SCHOENHEIDER

ILLINOIS NEWS BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION BEST REPORTER 2023 FINALIST

JOURNALIST WITH EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE NEWSGATHERING PROCESS

PRODUCTION EXPERIENCE ACROSS MORNING, MIDDAY, AND EVENING NEWSCASTS

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ABOUT JON

JON IS THE MORNING CO-ANCHOR FOR 25NEWS TODAY, WITH PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AS AN MMJ AND PRODUCER ACROSS MULTIPLE SHOWS AT WEEK-TV IN PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

ORIGINALLY FROM THE CHICAGO SUBURB OF LAKE FOREST, JON’S LOVE FOR JOURNALISM BEGAN FROM A YOUNG AGE. TURNING ON THE NEWS AFTER COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL LEAD TO AN EARLY FASCINATION WITH STORYTELLING, A PATH HE KNEW HE WANTED TO PURSUE. SOON, HIS PASSIONS FOR BROADCASTING, FILM, AND TELEVISION HELPED KICKSTART WHAT WOULD BECOME A LIFELONG DREAM.

JON ENROLLED AT HOPE COLLEGE IN HOLLAND, MICHIGAN FOR HIS HIGHER EDUCATION, WHERE HE RECEIVED HIS BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN COMMUNICATIONS WITH A BROADCASTING FOCUS, ALONG WITH A MINOR IN BUSINESS. JON BROUGHT BROADCASTING BACK TO THE FOREFRONT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AT THE SCHOOL, PRIMARILY THROUGH THE CREATION OF HOPE'S FIRST BROADCASTING CLUB. WITH ITS CAMPUS WEB SHOW ‘THE DUTCH ANGLE,’ THE CLUB GAVE STUDENTS THE CHANCE TO LEARN AND GROW IN EVERY ASPECT OF WHAT GOES INTO MAKING A GOOD SHOW, BOTH BEHIND THE SCENES AND IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA. ITS SUCCESS WOULD LATER SPUR THE RETURN OF FULL-CREDIT CLASSES ON THE SUBJECT, AFTER THEIR ABSENCE FROM COURSE LISTS FOR YEARS.

WHILE AT HOPE, JON ALSO WORKED AS AN INTERN AT WGN TELEVISION IN CHICAGO. HE ASSUMED THE ROLE OF PRODUCER ON A NEW SHOW HOSTED BY LARRY POTASH, THE LONGEST-SERVING MORNING ANCHOR IN THE COUNTRY. TITLED “BACKSTORY,’ EACH EPISODE FOCUSED ON THE FASCINATING HISTORY OF CHICAGO AND OTHER AMERICAN LOCALES BY TAKING VIEWERS ON LOCATION. 'BACKSTORY' IS STILL IN PRODUCTION, AND CONTINUES TO GROW ITS AUDIENCE WITH EVERY NEW SEASON.

AFTER GRADUATING FROM HOPE IN 2019, JON’S PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN BROADCASTING BEGAN BY MOVING TO HIS FATHER’S HOMETOWN OF PEORIA TO WORK AT WEEK-TV. HIS FIRST POSITION WAS PRODUCING THE 10:00 P.M. NEWSCASTS FOR HEART OF ILLINOIS ABC. HE SOON MOVED TO A FULL-TIME POSITION PRODUCING THE STATION’S MORNING SHOW, GOOD MORNING ILLINOIS.

IN JANUARY 2022, JON WENT DAYSIDE TO BEGIN HIS REPORTING CAREER, PREPARED WITH HIS EXPERIENCE BOTH BEHIND THE SCENES AND IN THE STUDIO. ON THE WEEKENDS, HE TOOK OVER AT THE ANCHOR DESK FOR HEART OF ILLINOIS ABC IN THE EVENING, BOTH ANCHORING AND PRODUCING MULTIPLE BROADCASTS. FOLLOWING THE MERGER OF 25NEWS AND HEART OF ILLINOIS ABC, JON THEN TOOK OVER THE ROLE OF WEEKEND ANCHOR ON THE NEWLY COMBINED STATION.

JON MOVED BACK TO THE MORNINGS IN MARCH 2023, JOINING 25NEWS TODAY AS ANCHOR. THE MOVE MARKS THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF WEEK-TV THAT A STAFF MEMBER HAS MADE THE TRANSITION FROM PRODUCER TO FULL-TIME ANCHOR DURING THEIR TENURE.

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