April 2026: Join us for the 31st Annual CMAs on May 14th! Freelancer Bootcamp on May 8th and more.
Hey, Narrative Change Community!
A Message From Guest Contributor, Judith McCray of Reparations Media
Photo provided by Judith McCray.
Congratulations to the winners of the 31st Annual Community Media Awards! This year’s honorees exemplify what hyperlocal, community-centered journalism can do. Their work lifts up under-heard voices, challenges harmful narratives, and pushes for change across the Chicagoland region. The People’s Choice Awards add to that momentum by recognizing emerging and established storytellers shaping their communities right now.
That same energy drives the Institute for Journalism and Racial Justice, newly launched at DePaul University.
The Institute connects journalism and communication students and alumni with freelance journalists, media makers, and Chicago’s independent and hyperlocal outlets. It also creates space for collaboration and honest conversation about race, racism, and how journalism can do better.
On Friday, May 8, the Institute will host its first Freelancing Bootcamp in the DePaul Center at 1 E. Jackson. The free, daylong workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is open to emerging journalists, media makers and anyone interested in freelance work. The morning focuses on skill-building sessions, followed by a panel, networking, and pitching opportunities with local media organizations in the afternoon. A keynote speaker, midday presentation on reporting with a racial equity lens, and meals round out the day.
The goal is simple: give people the practical tools, meaningful connections, and space they need to do meaningful, equitable, and inclusive journalism in Chicago.
Learn more about the Freelancing Bootcamp.
Judith McCray, Guest Contributor
Founder and Executive Director
Reparations Media, CIMA Member
Celebrating Excellence in Community Journalism: Meet the 2026 Studs Terkel Award Winners!
We are thrilled to announce the five exceptional journalists selected to receive the 2026 Studs Terkel Community Media Award! These honorees represent a profound commitment to authentic storytelling, a dedication to elevating community voices, and bodies of work that hold power accountable while illuminating the lives of our neighbors.
The 31st annual Studs Terkel Community Media Awardees, chosen by a committee of past Terkel Award recipients, truly embody the spirit of the legendary Studs Terkel. Their work exemplifies a deep commitment to community, demonstrating the transformative power of journalism that is for and by the people.
Please join us in congratulating these outstanding practitioners of the craft of journalism:
Ben Austen, Freelancer
Alma Campos, South Side Weekly
Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune
Laura Rodriguez Presa, Chicago Tribune
Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica Illinois
We will celebrate their achievements at the 31st Annual Community Media Awards on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the Claudia Cassidy Theater at the Chicago Cultural Center. This inspiring celebration will honor exceptional journalists, storytellers, and media makers whose work informs, uplifts, and drives meaningful change.
Join us in selecting our 2026 People’s Choice Awardee!
The People’s Choice Award is granted to a journalist/media maker in the Chicago region whose work has positively impacted the city.
This year’s nominees are:
Francia Garcia Hernandez, Bilingual Journalist at Block Club Chicago | Francia’s Work
Sonja Henderson, Freelance Visual Artist | Sonja’s Work
Elio Leturia, Freelance Visual/Multi-media Journalist | Elio’s Work
Jorge Mújica Murias, Campaign Organizer, Arise Chicago | Jorge’s Work
Congratulations to the Inaugural Cohort of Health Science Research Fellows!
We are thrilled to welcome and support these five incredible Chicagoland journalists who are dedicating their talent and time to a critical mission: making complex health science, data, and issues accessible, understandable, and actionable for the public's health.
Please join us in celebrating:
Kelly Glass, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, The VP Chicago
Nicole Jeanine Johnson, Harvey World Herald, Freelancer
Ashley Quincin, La Raza
Katherine Schulder-Battis, The Chicago Reporter, Freelancer
Todd Thomas, North Lawndale News, Freelancer
This fellowship is a collaborative effort between Public Narrative and the Alliance for Research with Chicagoland Communities (ARCC) at Northwestern University. We can't wait to see the powerful stories and community impact that will come from our fellows' contributions.
Congratulations to Press Forward Chicago and Press Forward Springfield for hosting a successful Illinois Local News Summit!
Photo Credit: THREE20 Media Inc.
Actors reenact the stages of the cross during the Via Crucis procession along 18th Street in Pilsen on April 3, 2026. Borderless Magazine // Credit: Camilla Forte/Borderless Magazine/Catchlight Local/Report for America
Inside Pilsen’s Living Stations of the Cross: The 49-Year Tradition Drawing Hundreds to 18th Street //Borderless Magazine
For many, Via Crucis is a longstanding Good Friday tradition that merges Catholic faith with community. Now, in its 49th year, the Living Stations of the Cross procession re-enacts Jesus Christ’s crucifixion in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood — a community on the Lower West Side that has been a port of entry for Mexican immigrants.
Read more: Inside Pilsen’s Living Stations of the Cross: The 49-Year Tradition Drawing Hundreds to 18th Street
Newswire: Against gas rate hikes? Tell the Illinois Commerce Commission // City Bureau
Peoples Gas wants to institute a $202 million rate hike. If passed, customers would pay an average of another $11 a month, or about $130 a year. The actual authority to allow utility companies to charge higher prices lies with the Illinois Commerce Commission.
Read more: Newswire: Against gas rate hikes? Tell the Illinois Commerce Commission
‘It’s a smack in the face,’ Chicago residents frustrated with police Supt. Larry Snelling about Operation Midway Blitz // TRiiBE
Chicago residents attended a special meeting in Brighton Park to air their grievances against the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and Supt. Larry Snelling over its conduct during the Trump administration’s so-called “Midway Blitz” operation last fall.
Director of Philanthropy // CHEST
Communications Manager // Richard L. Duchossois Foundation
Organizing Director // Latino Union of Chicago
Production Manager // Timeline Theater Company
The Data Institute 2-Week Training Program (Washington, D.C.) // Ida B. Wells Society and Center for Journalism & Democracy
April 18: Creative World-Building Workshop // South Side Community Art Center
Facilitated by Rhonda Wheatley, this session leans into intuitive making through guided prompts, writing, and creative play. Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at The First Presbyterian Church of Chicago.
Apr 30: Food. Arts. Bikes Night // Experimental Station
Enjoy a curated three-course meal by award-winning chef Constance Simms-Kincaid, and hear stories and insights from leaders advancing food justice, biking, and culture in our city. Thursday, April 30, 6-9 p.m. at Experimental Station.
May 1: Miss Honey’s Big Kid Spelling Bee // Playground Gathering
This event is benefiting the Chicago Public Library Foundation, fundraising partner of the Chicago Public Library. Friday, May 1, 6-9 p.m. at Monday Coffee.
May 8: Freelancer Bootcamp // Institute for Journalism and Racial Justice at DePaul University
Join the IJRJ for hands-on skills refresher sessions, networking, pitch sessions, and open dialogue for creating content with a racial equity lens. Friday, May 8, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at DePaul University’s Loop campus.
Add your organization’s event to PN’s new Chicago Local Media Events Calendar!
