Francie Swidler joined NBC 5 Chicago in November of 2021 as a morning digital news and social producer. In addition to managing digital content, social media and breaking news for Chicago in the mornings, Francie writes and reports on everything from Chicago’s best bars and burgers, to COVID rules and restrictions, to hyperlocal and suburban Chicago stories.
From 2018-2021, Francie was an Audience Editor at Colorado Public Radio, where she initially served as the news organization’s Social Media Editor. In her tenure at CPR, she led and moderated workshops on journalist social media use and best practices, audience development and trust and reader conversion through newsletters and more.
Francie also produced several large scale pieces, including curating easy-to-read and easy-to-find information about Colorado elections, COVID vaccinations in the Denver area, timelines of major breaking news events like wildfires and more.
Prior to joining CPR, Francie was a digital and social producer for The Denver Post. Starting as an Editorial Assistant in 2012, Francie was on the team that won a Pulitzer Prize for breaking news coverage of the Aurora Theater shooting. She produced dozens of Facebook Live videos, countless Twitter threads and wrote travel, culture and lifestyle stories.
Francie took a step away from journalism briefly in 2017 to work in public relations at Angi Home Services (formerly HomeAdivsor and Angie’s List), but couldn’t stay away long. She returned to the industry after less than a year.
The Latest
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Nicki Minaj has hilarious, relatable mom moment while at Shedd Aquarium with her son
Visitors to a certain part of the the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago this week may have been treated to a celebrity sighting.
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Maggie Rogers fans line streets around House of Blues, with Rogers herself working the box office
Taylor Swift fans may be taking over River North, but in downtown Chicago, Maggie Rogers fans are lining the streets.
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Popular store at Oakbrook Center Mall gets facelift, expands into larger space
Aritizia, which has been a tenant at the suburban mall for more than 10 years, just doubled its footprint.
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Chicago police warn of 17 armed robberies in 3 days across multiple neighborhoods
In one of the incidents, three University of Chicago students were held up near campus in broad daylight.
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Mario Lopez filming Christmas movie in suburban Long Grove
Lopez, his wife Courtney and their son Nico have been spending the past few weeks in the historic suburb of Long Grove, Illinois while filming a Christmas movie titled “My Grown Up Christmas Wish.”
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A mysterious Taylor Swift mural with a QR code has popped up in Chicago. What does it mean?
If you spent anytime in Chicago’s River North Tuesday, you may have noticed a mural with a giant QR code painted on a the side of a building. And if you’re a Taylor Swift fan, you might know what the mystery is all about — or at least have some guesses.
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Severe weather threatens Chicago area with ‘all weather hazards at play' including hail, tornadoes
As severe weather and tornado watches threatened the Central Plains Tuesday morning, waves of strong to severe storms were expected to move into the Chicago area Tuesday afternoon and evening, the NBC 5 Storm Team said.
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McDonald's debuts ‘world's first billboard' that smells like McDonald's fries
Sure, you’ve seen billboards. But have you ever had the chance to smell one?
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Chicago hot dog joint gets inducted into ‘Hot Dog Hall of Fame'
A Chicago hot dog joint just earned one of the highest honors a hot dog restaurant can receive: an induction into the Hot Dog Hall of Fame.
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What's a ‘Burrito Vault?' Chipotle launches word puzzle-inspired game for National Burrito Day
You could soon be the proud owner of more than $1 million worth of free burritos — but you’ll have to crack a special burrito code first.
