Rick Pearson Biography
Rick Pearson is a media personality serving as the Tribune’s chief political reporter since 1998. He joined the Chicago Tribune in September 1988 as a suburban reporter and later served as a Statehouse correspondent in Springfield for eight years. He also hosts a Sunday show on politics on WGN AM-720 and is frequently on WGN-TV.
Rick Pearson Age
How old is Rick Pearson? According to my information, Rick is 64 years old as of 2023. However, his birthday is unknown.
Rick Pearson Height
He is 5 feet 8 inches tall, approximately 1.73 meters or 173 centimeters.
Rick Pearson Nationality
He holds American nationality.
Rick Pearson Education
Pearson attended Southern Illinois University, Carbondale from 1976 – 1977. He then joined Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville from 1978 – 1981.
Rick Pearson Parents
There is no information about his parents. He hasn’t also disclosed whether he has any siblings or not.
Rick Pearson Wife
Who is Rick Pearson married to? Rick is married to his wife Margaret Pearson. In 2003, Rick was accused of writing favorable stories about former Illinois Gov. George Ryan in exchange for a state job for his wife. Margaret Pearson was hired for a job there in Feb. 1996, leaving in June 1998, after Ryan announced his campaign for governor. In 2002, Margaret Pearson received a contract from Democrat Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White to “do grant writing applications and to speak to groups in the western suburbs about organ donations. The contract paid $40 per hour or $67.25 per hour in 2023 dollars.
Rick Pearson Chicago Tribune
Pearson has been the Tribune’s chief political reporter since 1998, after joining the paper a decade earlier as a state legislative correspondent. He’s covered Illinois and national politics for more than 30 years, including four presidential races. He also hosts a Sunday show on politics on WGN AM-720 and is frequently on WGN-TV.
An award-winning journalist, Pearson has spent more than two decades reporting on Illinois government and politics and also has been part of the Tribune’s presidential election coverage team. In 2000 and 2004, he covered extensively the campaigns of George W. Bush. During the 2004 Democratic presidential primary contests, he covered John Kerry and Howard Dean.
In the 2008 presidential race, Pearson was the lead reporter covering the Iowa caucuses and went on to travel the country with candidates in both political parties, reporting for the Tribune as well as WGN radio and television. He covered the Democratic and Republican national conventions–his sixth election cycle attending the country’s premier presidential nominating events.
Pearson has been a guest on numerous local and nationally broadcast television and radio programs. He appears regularly on Wednesdays on “The Steve Cochran Show” on WGN-AM radio to discuss national and state politics. He also served as co-moderator of the 2002 Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV debate among Illinois’ candidates for governor.
Pearson joined the Chicago Tribune in September 1988 as a suburban reporter and later served as a Statehouse correspondent in Springfield for eight years. Previously, he was Illinois political editor for United Press International in Springfield and political editor for the Rockford Register-Star.
Rick Pearson Salary
He receives an average annual salary of $55,986. This is the estimated total pay for a Reporter at Chicago Tribune per year.
Rick Pearson Net Worth
He has an estimated net worth of $1 million to $5 million as of 2023.
