Nancy Chen is an award-winning American television journalist whose career has taken her from print reporting in Oklahoma to major television markets across the United States. She has covered everything from breaking news and political events to international sporting competitions, gaining valuable experience at both local stations and a national network.
After six years as a New York-based CBS News correspondent, Chen began a new chapter in March 2026 when she joined ABC7 San Francisco. She currently anchors ABC7 Mornings from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. and ABC 7@7 from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on ABC7’s 24/7 stream.
Her journey is notable not only for the number of major stories she has covered, but also for the range of journalism experience she developed along the way. From the Tulsa World to CBS News and now ABC7, her career shows how persistence and versatility can open doors in broadcast journalism.
Quick Facts About Nancy Chen
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Nancy Chen |
| Profession | Television journalist and news anchor |
| Current Station | ABC7 San Francisco (KGO-TV) |
| Current Role | Anchor, ABC7 Mornings and ABC 7@7 |
| Former Employer | CBS News |
| CBS Role | New York-based network correspondent |
| Education | University of Southern California |
| Degree | International Relations |
| Additional Study | Mandarin at Peking University |
| Birthplace | Texas |
| Raised In | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Husband | Patrick |
| Married | September 30, 2023 |
| Award | Emmy Award |
| Hobbies | Hiking, cooking and running |
ABC7’s current biography confirms her move to San Francisco in March 2026, while CBS’s biography details her education and earlier career path.
Early Life and Background
Nancy Chen was born in Texas and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her family remained in Tulsa, making the city an important part of her early life and personal background.
Her path into journalism did not begin directly with television. Chen started her professional career in print journalism, spending three years as a reporter for the Tulsa World. That experience gave her a strong foundation in researching stories, interviewing people and writing under deadlines.
She later expanded her skills into television and digital media. Before becoming a recognizable on-air journalist, she worked in different roles that exposed her to reporting, production and online journalism.
This varied beginning helped shape her into a journalist who could work comfortably both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
Education and Academic Background
Education played an important role in Chen’s development. She attended the University of Southern California, where she studied international relations as a Trustee Scholar. CBS News also notes that she studied Chinese at Peking University in Beijing.
Her academic background is particularly interesting because international relations can provide insight into politics, diplomacy and global affairs. Those subjects can be useful for a journalist who later reports on national and international news.
Her studies in Mandarin also added an international dimension to her education. Together, her academic and professional experiences created a foundation that extended beyond traditional local television reporting.
Her Age and Physical Features
Nancy Chen’s exact date of birth is not publicly established in the reliable biographical sources reviewed for this article. Because of that, it would be misleading to publish a specific age without solid documentation.
The same approach applies to detailed claims about her height, weight or other physical measurements. Such figures are often repeated on unofficial websites without reliable sourcing, so they should not be treated as confirmed facts.
What is clear from her public professional profile is her long-standing presence in television journalism and her extensive experience appearing on local and national broadcasts. Her on-camera career has included major network programs and live reporting from important events.
Nancy Chen’s Journalism Career
The career of Nancy Chen has developed through several important stages. She moved from print journalism into television, worked in different parts of California, gained major reporting experience in Boston and Washington, D.C., and eventually joined CBS News as a network correspondent.
Each stage added a different skill to her professional profile. Rather than becoming known for only one type of reporting, she built experience across breaking news, politics, sports, community stories and national events.
That versatility has remained one of the most notable features of her career.
Early Television Experience in California
After beginning at the Tulsa World, Chen moved into television and digital production. She worked as a web producer at KABC-TV in Los Angeles and was also involved in production for NBC Sports in Beijing during the 2008 Summer Olympics.
She later became a multimedia journalist at KSBY-TV in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. That role gave her direct experience in field reporting and local television news.
The early California years were important because they connected Chen with the state where she would eventually return as a major-market anchor.
Nancy Chen at WHDH in Boston
Chen later joined WHDH-TV in Boston, where she spent about five years working as a weekend anchor and weekday reporter. Her time in Boston exposed her to some of the most demanding stories of her early broadcasting career.
Among the major stories she covered were the Boston Marathon bombing and its aftermath, as well as the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She also reported on the 2015 Super Bowl.
Covering major breaking news requires journalists to make fast decisions while maintaining accuracy. Chen’s experience in these high-pressure situations helped prepare her for future national assignments.
Career at WJLA-TV and Her Emmy Award
In Washington, D.C., Chen became a weekday anchor and reporter at WJLA-TV. Working in the nation’s capital gave her opportunities to cover major political and national stories.
One of the defining achievements from this period was her coverage of the Congressional baseball shooting. She later won an Emmy Award for that coverage, marking an important professional achievement in her career.
Her work at WJLA also included community-focused journalism. She spearheaded the “Hero 24/7” franchise, which highlighted local volunteers and people making a positive difference in their communities.
This combination of hard-news reporting and community storytelling became an important part of her professional identity.
Nancy Chen at CBS News
In February 2020, CBS News announced Chen as a New York-based correspondent for CBS News Newspath. The position involved producing original reporting for CBS affiliates and broadcasters around the world.
During her six years at CBS News, she contributed across the network’s broadcasts and platforms. She became a regular fill-in anchor for programs including CBS Mornings, CBS Saturday Morning and CBS Weekend News, while also contributing to CBS News 24/7.
Her assignments covered a wide range of major stories. According to ABC7, they took her to 28 states and three countries and included the 2025 presidential inauguration, protests at Columbia University, the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia, the 2022 midterm elections, the Buffalo supermarket shooting and the Kyle Rittenhouse trial.
That level of national exposure established Chen as an experienced network journalist capable of working across many different news environments.
Major Achievements and Memorable Assignments
Several achievements help explain why her career has attracted attention.
Her Emmy Award for coverage of the Congressional baseball shooting stands out as one of the most important honors in her career. She also became part of the CBS Mornings team that won a National Emmy for Outstanding Live News Program, according to ABC7’s biography.
Her reporting portfolio has also included major sporting events, political developments and breaking news. From the Boston Marathon bombing to Olympic Games, her work has frequently placed her in situations where accuracy and composure were especially important.
Rather than focusing on a single subject, Chen has built a broad reporting background that crosses local, national and international news.
Nancy Chen’s Move to ABC7 San Francisco
March 2026 marked a major career transition for Chen when she joined ABC7 News in San Francisco. The move was also something of a return to California, where she had started her on-air career.
At ABC7, she anchors ABC7 Mornings from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. and ABC 7@7 from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. exclusively on the station’s 24/7 stream.
Her current work demonstrates how experience at a national network can translate into a major local news role. Morning television often requires anchors to handle many subjects in a short period, including breaking developments, interviews, business news and stories affecting the local community.
Chen’s background makes that transition a natural fit.
Relationship With Patrick McFawn
Nancy Chen is married to Patrick McFawn. Publicly available biographical information identifies him as her husband, and ABC7 notes that he is a Southern California native.
The couple married on September 30, 2023, according to IMDb’s public biography for Chen.
Chen generally keeps her private life relatively separate from her professional work. As a result, most reliable public information about her focuses on journalism rather than personal details.
Marriage and Family Life
Chen’s marriage became part of her public biography in 2023, but there is limited verified information about her broader family life.
ABC7 says that Chen and her husband were excited to return to California and explore the Bay Area following her move to the station.
There is also no reliable public source establishing that Chen has children. For that reason, claims about the number or names of children should be treated cautiously unless Chen herself or a reputable source confirms them.
Her public profile remains much more focused on her work as a journalist.
Social Media Presence
Like many television journalists, Chen has an online presence connected to her professional work. Her career can also be followed through the broadcasts and stories she contributes to at ABC7.
However, social media usernames and personal accounts can change, and not every account using a journalist’s name is necessarily authentic. Readers should rely on verified or station-linked profiles when looking for her latest updates.
Her current ABC7 work provides the clearest window into her professional activities, including reporting, interviews and morning news coverage. Recent ABC7 programming shows her actively appearing in the station’s coverage and interviews.
Who Is Nancy Chen?
Nancy Chen is an American journalist and television anchor with experience at both local and national levels.
She is best known for her work at CBS News, where she served as a New York-based correspondent, and for her current position at ABC7 San Francisco. Her career includes reporting from major breaking-news locations, covering political events and appearing as a fill-in anchor on several CBS programs.
Her professional story is notable because it combines traditional reporting, digital media, live television and national network journalism.
Personality and Interests
Based on her public professional biography, Chen has interests outside journalism that include hiking, cooking and running. ABC7 also notes that she has completed three marathons, including the 2025 New York City Marathon.
These interests provide a more personal view of the journalist behind the television desk. Running marathons, in particular, requires consistency and long-term commitment, qualities that can also be valuable in a demanding journalism career.
Still, most of the publicly documented information about Chen centers on her professional achievements rather than her private personality.
Does Nancy Chen Have Children?
There is no reliably confirmed public information establishing that Nancy Chen has children.
Because family information can be private, it is better not to assume that a person has children based on unverified biography websites or social media speculation. Chen has largely kept her personal life away from the spotlight.
What is publicly documented is her marriage to Patrick McFawn in 2023 and their move back to California as she joined ABC7.
Nancy Chen’s Net Worth and Income
There is no verified public figure for Nancy Chen’s net worth or annual salary.
Television journalists at national and major-market stations can have very different compensation depending on experience, market size, contract terms and responsibilities. Without an official financial disclosure or a reliable published salary record, assigning a precise number would be speculation.
Her lengthy career at CBS News and her current anchor role at ABC7 indicate a well-established professional position, but her personal finances are not publicly documented in a dependable way.
Public Image and Legacy
Chen’s public image has been shaped primarily by her journalism.
She has built a reputation around covering difficult stories, working under deadline pressure and moving comfortably between local and national television. Her Emmy recognition adds further credibility to her reporting career.
Another important part of her professional legacy is her range. She has reported on community issues, political events, sports, breaking news and major national stories rather than limiting herself to one category.
Her return to California with ABC7 also gives the next stage of her career a personal connection to a state where she first developed her on-air skills.
Why Nancy Chen’s Career Matters
The career path of Nancy Chen offers a useful example of how modern journalism careers are built.
She did not begin as a major-network anchor. Instead, she worked through several stages, starting in print, gaining experience in web production, moving into local television, reporting in major cities and eventually becoming a national correspondent.
That progression highlights the importance of learning different parts of the media business.
Her story also shows that journalism is not always a straight path. Experience at smaller stations, difficult assignments and behind-the-scenes roles can all become valuable when combined with persistence and strong reporting skills.
Conclusion
Nancy Chen has built an impressive journalism career through years of reporting, anchoring and covering major national stories. From her early work at the Tulsa World to television positions in California, Boston and Washington, D.C., she steadily expanded her experience before joining CBS News as a national correspondent.
Her Emmy-winning reporting, extensive network assignments and experience as a fill-in anchor on major CBS programs helped establish her as a respected television journalist.
Today, Chen is continuing that journey at ABC7 San Francisco, where she anchors morning news and contributes to the station’s 24/7 coverage. Her combination of local knowledge, national reporting experience and live television skills makes her a notable figure in American broadcast journalism.
FAQs About Nancy Chen
1. Who is Nancy Chen?
Nancy Chen is an American television journalist and news anchor. She previously worked as a national correspondent for CBS News and joined ABC7 San Francisco in March 2026.
2. Where does Nancy Chen work now?
She currently works at ABC7 San Francisco, where she anchors ABC7 Mornings and ABC 7@7 on the station’s 24/7 stream.
3. Was Nancy Chen a CBS News correspondent?
Yes. Chen joined CBS News in 2020 as a New York-based correspondent and reported across CBS News broadcasts and platforms.
4. Did Nancy Chen win an Emmy?
Yes. She won an Emmy for her coverage of the Congressional baseball shooting while working at WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C.
5. Where did Nancy Chen go to college?
She graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in international relations and also studied Chinese at Peking University in Beijing.
6. Who is Nancy Chen’s husband?
Nancy Chen is married to Patrick McFawn. Public information records their marriage date as September 30, 2023.
7. What does Nancy Chen do in her free time?
According to ABC7, she enjoys hiking, cooking and running. She has completed three marathons, including the 2025 New York City Marathon.
8. How old is Nancy Chen?
Her exact date of birth has not been reliably established in the sources reviewed, so a specific age should not be presented as confirmed fact.
