PHOTO COURTESY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR THE LAND OF LINCOLN
Bernard Schoenburg, left, moderates a panel that includes Capitol Information Illinois reporter Hannah Meisel, Chicago Solar-Occasions government editor Jennifer Kho and Emerson Collective senior adviser Evan Smith through the Press Ahead Springfield announcement held at College of Illinois Springfield on Nov. 6, 2023.
Based mostly on encounters I’ve throughout Springfield, I would say a complete bunch of individuals need higher native information. They see that the variety of reporters protecting native occasions has gone down right here, simply because it has in cities and cities throughout the nation.
However along with agreeing that the native reporting scene has suffered drastically by cutbacks, I typically share a ray of hope.
Later this 12 months, an announcement needs to be made outlining how a five-year, $500 million nationwide philanthropic program known as Press Ahead will translate into some reporting energy in and across the capital metropolis.
“I am hopeful that no matter we announce right here this 12 months shall be a method to say ‘OK, we’re placing the brakes on the decline, and we’re going to have the ability to improve the capability of native journalists and newsrooms,’ … on this space, regardless of the mechanism is,'” stated John Stremsterfer, president and CEO of the Group Basis for the Land of Lincoln.
Monetary help to develop the capability of native journalism might partially come from the Patrick F. Coburn Press Ahead Endowment Fund on the Group Basis. Coburn, the longtime writer of The State Journal-Register who died in 2022 at age 81, left an unrestricted $1.7 million to the inspiration. Of that, $1 million was put into the devoted fund for native journalism, and the Chicago-based MacArthur Basis’s president, John Palfrey, traveled to Springfield in November 2023 to announce that his group would match the $1 million.
Stacy Reed, chief program officer for the Group Basis, stated that realizing of Coburn’s information business legacy, she was following developments about native information. She was watching a spring 2023 Knight Media Discussion board dialogue, and she or he heard an official of the MacArthur Basis speaking in regards to the situation.
That official, Kristen Mack, a MacArthur vp, talked by telephone with Reed, and shortly met with Stremsterfer in Chicago.
“Kristen sort of laid out to me what turned referred to as Press Ahead after I met along with her one on one,” Stremsterfer stated. “And he or she goes, ‘Effectively, do you need to be a part of the coalition of the … enthusiastic?”
That, Stremsterfer stated, is how The Group Basis turned house to considered one of six unique Press Ahead Native Chapters, and one of many first 20 foundations – and the one neighborhood basis – to affix the Press Ahead effort at that time. Different neighborhood foundations have since joined.
Being amongst preliminary Press Ahead backers, with the likes of Carnegie, Joyce and Knight foundations, was “superb,” Stremsterfer stated, for the native group he runs, which covers an eight-county area.
He believes within the purpose of bettering native protection. And he hopes main foundations proceed the Press Ahead effort past its preliminary 5 years. He additionally encourages these teams to work via neighborhood foundations with endowment funds legally locked into spending on native media, to have lasting influence.
“I believe it issues … to not get an excessive amount of on a excessive horse, for the way forward for our democracy in a rustic that appears extra divided than at any time … since possibly the Civil Battle,” Stremsterfer stated. Lack of native information protection, he stated, “might help create additional political divides in our neighborhood.”
What folks want, he added, is “simply fundamental info for folks to have, info to make choices upon in cities of our measurement and smaller. It is only a large, large drawback. And if we do not repair that, I do not know what occurs.”
The muse covers the counties of Sangamon, Logan, Menard, Cass, Morgan, Macoupin, Montgomery and Christian. The Coburn fund endowment could be spent in that area, however whether or not it will get into the territories exterior Springfield is but to be decided, Stremsterfer stated.
The muse is working with a gaggle known as the American Journalism Mission, which has studied the media panorama of the area and can advocate the following step. In some locations throughout the nation, that group has advisable creation of recent nonprofit information retailers. It would not seem that would be the case in Springfield, Stremsterfer and Reed stated, with growth of an present media outlet extra doubtless.
“We want extra native information protection, interval,” Stremsterfer stated. “I believe that is true in each considered one of our eight counties.” He stated the mannequin of native information media being a cash maker has been “damaged by the web.
“So can philanthropy step in and attempt to present, via a not-for-profit mechanism, a method to construct again native protection?” he requested. “That, to me, is the entire wager right here.”
Full disclosure: after I retired from The State Journal-Register 4 years in the past, Stremsterfer requested and I agreed to serve on the advisory council to the Group Basis. It’s a volunteer place, and I’ve loved being concerned in discussions that all of us hope will result in improved native protection.
In Illinois, there may be one other Press Ahead chapter. It’s in Chicago and is housed on the Chicago Group Belief. Final Could it introduced $1.6 million in grants for 13 native information organizations, together with South Aspect Weekly, Windy Metropolis Occasions and Invisible Institute.
In the meantime, different efforts to boost journalism throughout the state have been within the works.
Rising out of a native journalism activity power shotgunned by state Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, the state is implementing an area journalism sustainability tax incentive program. It is going to present as much as $5 million a 12 months for 5 years in tax credit to information organizations. Given on a first-come, first-served foundation, eligible organizations can obtain $15,000 in tax credit every for a restricted variety of certified journalists employed, and an extra $10,000 in tax credit every for newly created positions.
Data on this system and a digital software is out there on the state’s Division of Commerce and Financial Alternative web site.
In response to Jeff Rogers, government director of the Illinois Press Basis, that group in addition to the Illinois Press Affiliation, Illinois Broadcasters Affiliation, Medill College of Journalism and others obtained a Joyce Basis grant to assist native information organizations all through the state apply for the grants.
Rogers can also be founding editor of Capitol Information Illinois, a nonprofit, nonpartisan information service that distributes state authorities protection to a whole lot of stories retailers statewide. It’s funded primarily by the Illinois Press Basis and the Robert R. McCormick Basis.
As information retailers throughout the state have in the reduction of on Statehouse information protection lately, CNI has crammed gaps. In response to Rogers, CNI now has 12 full-time positions, together with a possible alternative quickly for a southern Illinois staffer who not too long ago left. The entire contains two folks in viewers growth, engaged on issues resembling internet growth and fundraising; and 9 journalists – 4 on the Statehouse, two in Chicago and three in southern Illinois.
After the present grant season, Rogers expects to rent 5 extra folks in 2025, together with one broadcast and one print reporter, two editors, and an individual targeted on income and viewers growth.
Rogers additionally stated he thinks the Springfield-based Press Ahead enhances what CNI is doing.
“We’re speaking with the Group Basis for the Land of Lincoln of us about figuring out ways in which CNI, the Illinois Press Basis and Illinois Press Affiliation can additional assist native information retailers,” Rogers stated. “I believe there’s an actual alternative for the Springfield chapter to assist native information retailers within the eight-county area, and since CNI already has a relationship with these retailers, we really feel we’re in place to help.”
I’ve an worker listing that exhibits the SJ-R newsroom had 70 editorial workers, together with reporters, editors, designers and even a cartoonist, in 1999. In the present day, although they’re a hard-working crew, there are lower than 10 SJ-R editorial workers primarily based in Springfield.
Pat Coburn employed me in 1990 when he was managing editor of the newspaper, and I believe in his 10 years as writer of the paper, nonetheless owned then by the Copley household, he helped make it a good, nonpartisan market for concepts and a powerful neighborhood voice. I believe Coburn can be happy with the brand new native journalism effort being carried ahead in his identify.
This op-ed initially appeared within the Jan. 7 digital e-newsletter The Illinoize. It has been up to date.
