Public Media’s Reach
Free service for everyone in Illinois, regardless of ability to pay — NO paywall!
Educational and non-partisan outlets for state and local government, including interviews with elected officials
Vibrant arts & culture coverage
Crucial emergency communications role
Public Media’s Vitality
Public media is filling the gap left behind by the decline of print newspapers
Illinois is in the top 10 for decline of newspapers
Illinois journalism jobs at print newspapers declined by 86% since 2005
Illinois local journalism task force report January 2024
Decline of Local Media = Decline of Civic Engagement
An informed citizenry is essential to the health of our government on both the national and local levels. Studies show communities lacking robust local journalism have lower levels of voter participation and higher levels of corruption. And, of course, misinformation flourishes. Less measurable but still important is the sense of community that local news fosters.
Northwestern University study
Illinois is in the bottom half for state funding (#30)
State funding for public media in Illinois is the lowest in the midwest and lower than all neighboring states other than Michigan.
$12.5 million in state funding would put Illinois at $1 per capita
It would also put Illinois closer to the average public media support adjacent states provide — raising Illinois to 22nd out of the 33 states providing funding for public media.
