Amy Guth
Amy Guth, one of the most prominent women in Chicago media, is quitting her day job to pursue on-air television ambitions and other projects.
Guth announced Monday she voluntarily was resigning as general manager/publisher of RedEye Chicago and Metromix, effective at the end of the week. No successor at the Tribune Publishing newspaper and website has been named.
“It’s a good time to hand the reins to someone else,” she wrote in a note to colleagues.
Guth said she will continue to host a weekly show on Tribune Media news/talk WGN AM 720, airing from 11 p.m. Saturdays to 2 a.m. Sundays. She also will continue to serve as president of the Chicago chapter of the Association for Women Journalists and as a mentor-editor at The Op-Ed Project.
On May 25 she’ll fill in for Melissa Forman as co-host of “You & Me This Morning,” airing from 6 to 9 a.m. on Weigel Broadcasting WCIU-Channel 26. That same day she’ll also fill in for Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano on their WGN midday show. In addition to pursuing broadcast opportunities, Guth said she plans to finish writing her second novel.
Explaining that outside activities have “whet my appetite for striking out on my own,” she told colleagues: “It’s bittersweet to move on, but I’ve learned so much from each of you, mentors both official and not, and will continue to be a huge fan of the work you do.”
Matthew Hutchison, senior vice president of corporate communications for Tribune Publishing, said in a statement: “Amy is a tremendous talent whose digital savvy and editorial leadership will be missed. We wish her tremendous success as she works on her next novel and as she continues to cultivate her on-air persona and other passions. We will be cheering along from the sidelines — and following along on social media.”
Guth was named general manager/publisher of RedEye and Metromix in August 2013 after two years as social media and SEO manager for Chicago Tribune Media Group. The Texas native joined the company in 2009 as digital editor of the Chicago Tribune books section and worked on the early content development of Chicago Now.
In 2011, Guth was named to Chicago magazine’s list of “The 50 Most Beautiful Chicagoans.” In 2013, she was named “Chicago’s Funniest Media Personality” by Laugh Factory Chicago.
Here is the text of Guth’s note to staff:
Team:
In my six years at the Tribune, I’ve have the privilege of doing a wide range of things, and I am so appreciative of the variety of experiences and lessons I’ve gained from each: from recruiting bloggers in the early days of ChicagoNow, building a digital presence for the books section and writing about the first generation of e-readers, having the honor of a Chicago Tribune byline, sharing my love of social media with over 1,000 colleagues across the company, experimenting with all the ways to weave digital into the many ways to commit an act of journalism, to napping on the floor during NATO. I’ve had the opportunity to write, edit, react to breaking news, do radio, television, digital video, events, live-tweet, speak on panels, and most recently, lead the outstanding group of people who make up RedEye and Metromix.
In the past several years, I’ve also written a book, hosted radio on WGN, served as President of the Association for Women Journalists Chicago chapter, taught at University of Chicago’s Graham School and served as a mentor-editor at The Op-Ed Project.
All of this has whet my appetite for striking out on my own. I have more stories and books to write, videos to make, broadcasts to, uh, broadcast, and things to build. I plan to take time to write my second book, will continue to host radio on WGN-AM 720, continue to serve on the board of the Association for Women Journalists and work as a facilitator and mentor-editor at The Op-Ed Project.
Given where RedEye and Metromix are in their evolution — the beautiful NGUX site for RedEye with a new app coming shortly, the beautiful RedEye video set, and the new site and app for Metromix — it’s a good time to hand the reins to someone else.
It’s bittersweet to move on, but I’ve learned so much from each of you, mentors both official and not, and will continue to be a huge fan of the work you do.
- Amy Guth
Here is the text of a note from Kathy Manilla, vice president of Chicago Tribune Media Group, to staff:
Team,
After six years with Chicago Tribune Media Group, our friend and colleague, Amy Guth, has decided to leave the Company to pursue her passions of writing, producing, and launching new initiatives.
In her time here, Amy has put her heart in to building our brands and businesses. We thank her for her significant achievements — notably her digital acumen and innovative spirit — and stewardship in building the RedEye brand across all platforms.
Amy’s direct reports — Kristen Samuelson, Jimmy Greenfield and Annie Ryan — will report to me in the interim.
We wish Amy all the best and continued success as she launches her next venture.
Kathy