Maudlyne Ihejirika

Journalism & Storytelling Program Officer

Maudlyne Ihejirika is the Journalism & Storytelling Program Officer for the Field Foundation of Illinois and is responsible for supporting the foundation’s work in seeking to change how news production and storytelling reflect Chicago.

Maudlyne focuses on Field’s goal of creating a more equitable, connected, and inclusive local media ecosystem in which the stories of all Chicagoans are told accurately, fairly, authoritatively, and contextually.

Prior to joining Field, Maudlyne spent 29 years with the Chicago Sun-Times, where she was an award-winning reporter and columnist, served as assistant city editor, and covered beats from crime and the inner city to housing and education, politics, and philanthropy. She also wrote “Chicago Chronicles”—long-form columns of diverse and untold narratives focusing on racial, social, and economic justice issues impacting Black and Brown communities.

Maudlyne is Immediate Past President of both the Chicago Journalists Association and the National Association of Black Journalists Chicago Chapter. She is also the author of "Escape From Nigeria: A Memoir of Faith, Love and War" (Africa World Press, 2016)—a riveting tale of her family's survival of the brutal Nigerian-Biafran War and miracles that brought them to the US as refugees.

Maudlyne holds an MSJ from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, and a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Iowa. She is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Email: mihejirika@fieldfoundation.org