WGN-TV News Promotes Erik Runge And Shannon Halligan

Shannon Halligan and Erik Runge, both currently reporting on WGN News, have been promoted to full-time general assignment reporters effective immediately, according to Dominick Stasi, WGN-TV news director.

“Erik will be reporting for WGN Morning News and WGN Midday News, and Shannon will be traffic reporter for WGN Evening News while also reporting for later newscasts,” Stasi said.  “Both have made strong contributions to the WGN News team and we look forward to more solid reporting from both.”

Erik Runge joined WGN News in November 2013 as a per diem reporter.  Prior to working at WGN, Runge spent three years as a general assignment reporter at KMSP Minneapolis-St. Paul.  He spent several years in central Kansas, his work has been seen on NBC Nightly News and he has also reported live for MSNBC after Hurricane Ike crashed into Galveston, Texas.  He most recently covered the civil unrest in Chicago related to the nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd.  As a RIAS Fellow, Runge traveled to Belgium and Germany for his fellowship last fall.  While in Berlin, he produced a two-part series on the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Runge earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa.

Shannon Halligan joined the WGN/CLTV team in September 2016.  Prior to joining “Chicago’s Very Own,” Halligan was a reporter and fill-in anchor at KSHB Kansas City, Mo.  She also worked as an anchor and reporter at WWLP Springfield, Mass. Halligan provided live breaking news coverage during the protests in Ferguson as well as the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bomber.

Halligan graduated magna cum laude in broadcast journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.