Seven organizations that fortify Chicago’s local news ecosystem and model innovative approaches for community-centered journalism will receive funding for their work.
MacArthur awarded $6.5 million in funding to seven Chicago-based organizations that are fortifying the city’s local news ecosystem and modeling innovative approaches for community-centered journalism.
This round of funding underscores MacArthur's commitment to strengthening local news through investments that promote equity, engagement, infrastructure, and visibility. Together, these organizations are helping to create a more sustainable and inclusive news environment across Chicago and throughout Illinois.
“This funding reflects our belief that local journalism is a cornerstone of civic life.”
“This funding reflects our belief that local journalism is a cornerstone of civic life,” said Silvia Rivera, MacArthur's Director of Local News. “By supporting trusted messengers, investigative voices, and collaborative networks, we’re helping to build a thriving news ecosystem that meets the information needs of all Chicagoans.”
- The Field Foundation of Illinois will receive $3.5 million in general support which may include expanding its Journalism & Storytelling program to support newsrooms in suburban and rural Illinois, particularly in designated news deserts, while amplifying inclusive narratives, and complementing Press Forward Chicago’s impact.
- Block Club Chicago will receive $1.5 million in general support for one of Chicago’s most-read nonprofit news outlets that delivers nonpartisan, neighborhood-based reporting.
- Borderless Magazine will receive $350,000 in general support to expand its bilingual newsroom and produce accessible reporting on immigration, labor, and justice for Chicago’s communities.
- Better Government Association (Illinois Answers Project) will receive $350,000 to support its investigative and evidence-based solutions journalism that informs policy and improves government accountability across Illinois.
- Investigative Project on Race and Equity will receive $350,000 in general support to train journalists in data-driven reporting and to build newsroom capacity.
- Injustice Watch will receive $350,000 in general support for its work examining issues of equity and justice in the court system through investigative journalism.
- Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community will receive $100,000 to sustain and further develop a Chinese-language digital news platform to meet the information needs of Chicago’s Chinese-speaking communities.
