Edna Schmidt returns to Univision Chicago… but this time, as part of a story.
Starting next Monday, November 3, the station will be running a 5-part series with a half-hour Saturday special about women and alcoholism, and Edna is the centerpiece.
Edna, the founding anchor of Univision Chicago’s newscast, shares her story about her own struggles with alcohol on “Mi Verdad: Edna Schmidt.”
Alcohol addiction cost Edna her journalism career. She lost her job as a Univision network anchor and last year, at Telemundo Chicago, where she lasted less than 3 months.
“The series is to raise awareness about the issue,” says WGBO news director Teri Arvesu. “It’s a chance to empower women who are going through this. We wanted this not to be an exploitation about one person’s story, but to bring a light to a real problem.”
Arvesu says that’s why the station partnered with Alcoholics Anonymous to man a hotline with Spanish-speaking staffers each day the series airs.
Univision Chicago will also be directing viewers to local resources and where people can seek help for alcohol addiction.
Jorge Barbosa, who for many years shared the anchor desk with Edna, interviewed her for the series.
In addition to the series, Edna will be live in the studio on Tuesday, Nov. 4.