State Task Force Suggests Policies to Reverse Journalism Decline in Illinois – WTTW News

State Task Force Suggests Policies to Reverse Journalism Decline in Illinois  WTTW News

The Local Journalism Task Force found that about one-third of Illinois counties have either no source of local news or a single source. State Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, introduces the final report of the state’s Local Journalism Task Force. It details a decline of local news coverage throughout the state but proposes ways the legislature can support newsrooms. (Alex Abbeduto / Capitol News Illinois) A bipartisan task force of legislators and journalism industry leaders has filed a report to the General Assembly detailing the decline of local journalism in Illinois and exploring ways the legislature can help revive it. The Local Journalism Task Force, created in January 2022, found that about one-third of Illinois counties have either no source of local news or a single source, citing research by the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism.

State Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, said he plans to introduce a bill this session including some of the task force’s suggestions. The policies recommended by the task force are a mix of strategies intended to increase funding, mitigate high operational costs and keep newsrooms local. Many of the recommendations have been implemented or introduced in other states. The task force heard testimony and examined data and research from other experts and organizations around the state to create a final report detailing their findings and