Dennis Valera
Dennis joins Local News 8 and Eyewitness News from Chicago, where he studied broadcast journalism at Columbia College Chicago.
At Columbia, Dennis worked as a multimedia reporter for the school’s award-winning newspaper, The Columbia Chronicle, for two years. During his time there, he helped produce and report on The Chronicle’s first live broadcast during Obama’s 2012 election party. He also reported and anchored for the school’s Emmy-nominated live news show, NewsBeat. When he wasn’t at school, he also interned for the local CBS and NBC stations.
Dennis realized he picked the right career during his first internship with the Hispanic Link News Service in Washington, D.C., where he witnessed and reported major events like President Obama’s deferred action announcement and the International AIDS Conference.
A self-proclaimed foodie, Dennis loves to go out and try new restaurants or recipes in the kitchen. To counter his big appetite, he likes to work out and stay active. His guilty pleasures include reality TV competition shows (“Survivor” is his favorite), sappy romantic comedies and binge-watching shows on Netflix.
Feel free to email Dennis at dj.valera@localnews8.com with any story ideas or connect with him on social media.
