Mary Ann Bergerson Ahern joined NBC5 News in March 1989 and was named Political Reporter in 2006. On the political beat, Ahern has covered challenging issues as well as political campaigns from presidential races to statewide and local contests. 

She followed Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 White House races in Iowa, New Hampshire and other primary stops, including many presidential debates. Ahern has also covered Democratic and Republican National Conventions and has appeared as a guest on NBC’s Meet the Press.

Back in 1988 while a reporter in Atlanta specializing in politics, she also closely followed various campaigns, including the first Congressional race of John Lewis versus Julian Bond. Over the years she’s spent presidential election nights offering live reports from Texas, Boston and New York City, and her reports on the NBC 5 News and on NBCChicago.com are closely followed locally and nationally. 

Ahern has also covered Chicago City Hall transitions from Mayor Richard Daley to Rahm Emanuel to Lori Lightfoot and Brandon Johnson. She’s also closely followed changes at the Illinois Governor’s office as well, and she’s served as a debate moderator in contests for both offices.    

She's gained recognition for covering the religion beat and has reported from Rome on the selection of Pope Leo XIV, Pope Francis, Pope Benedict and Benedict's historic farewell as well as the 2014 canonization of pontiffs John XXIII and John Paul II. In May 2025, Ahern was at the Vatican when Leo, the Chicago born Pope – the first American -- was chosen and the NBC 5 coverage of that day earned two local Emmy Awards. Over the years she covered Pope John Paul II's many trips including Cuba and several World Youth Day events. Ahern followed Cardinal Joseph Bernardin’s final years, the selection of both Cardinal Blasé Cupich and  Cardinal Francis George, the beatification of Mother Teresa, and the Pope’s emergency meeting with the American Cardinals on the priest sex abuse crisis.  

Ahern is recognized for breaking many stories related to the Roman Catholic church. In 1991, she was the first reporter to disclose the priest sex abuse crisis that led to the Archdiocese eventually opening its files and creating a lay review board, a model that other cities followed. In 1996 in Cuba, Ahern was one of the few American journalists allowed to report on Pope John Paul’s trip to Havana over a 10-day period. She also traveled with Cardinal George to Mexico City to report on the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Ahern not only reports for NBC Chicago, but is often selected to file stories for the NBC affiliates nationwide.  Likewise, she is often called on as a panelist for political and religion media issues. 

 During her reporting career in Chicago, Ahern conducted the last one-on-one television interview with actor and disability activist Christopher Reeve in October 2004, just days before he died. Ahern has also covered everyday events from tornadoes to snowstorms, from school classrooms to protests, and even Princess Diana and Poland President Lech Walesa’s visits to Chicago. She’s also joined the NBC 5 team to report on the Cubs, White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks’ championship seasons and celebrations. She’s known for enterprising stories about everyday people placed in extraordinary circumstances, like the Marine who had his purple heart revoked.  

Before joining NBC 5, Ahern was the political reporter for WXIA-TV in Atlanta, Ga., from 1985-1989. She served as reporter/weekend anchor at WEEK-TV in Peoria, Ill. from 1982-1985. A native of Michigan City, Ind., Ahern graduated with a B.A. degree from John Carroll University. While working as an English teacher at two Chicago-area high school, she received her Master's degree in Education from Northeastern Illinois University, and another Master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. 

She has several Emmy awards for news coverage and earned the Peter Lisagor Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago Headline Club in 2012.  In 2017 she received the National Academy of Television Arts Silver Circle Award, recognizing distinguished service in the television industry for 25 years or more of service.    

Drop Mary Ann a line at maryann.ahern@nbcuni.com. She's also on Facebook, X, Instagram and Tik Tok.