Illinois Public Media

Arts and Culture

A picture of 21st Host Brian Mackey talking to Maggie Hennessy and a photo of her book “The Burger Bible: The Complete Lowdown on the Humble Hamburger.”

A look at America’s most iconic sandwich through a Midwestern lens

 Watch (and listen to) this special episode of The 21st Show in video podcast format. Learn how Illinois and the greater Midwest helped shape America’s favorite hand-held food, the hamburger. Featured guest Maggie Hennessy is a food and drink writer for WBEZ and author of “The Burger Bible: The Complete Lowdown on the Humble Hamburger.”
IPM Newsroom
Check engine solved! Save time and money on fixing your used car.
Illinois Classical
Illinois Classical 90.9

Your home for Classical and more in Central Illinois.
Atomic Age Cocktail Party
Atomic Age logo with an illustration of a tropical island with the sun behind it. Text reads

Hawaiian Holiday (165)
Coming up on The Atomic Age Cocktail Party, we’re taking a Hawaiian Holiday. It’s an hour of popular Hawaiian music standards from the hi-fi era. We’ll hear from Webley…
Dialogue
Man at desk, woman at desk, singer profile picture

DeShawn Williams marks a year as mayor; Inside the Lincoln School for Black children; and Mýa releases album with 70’s/80’s vibes
DeShawn Williams talks about his first year as Urbana's mayor; we visit a restored one-room schoolhouse for Black children; and Mýa talks about her new album.
The 21st Show
a white woman with dark hair and a gray sweater; the book cover has four rectangles, clockwise from top left: pink, yellow, green and orange

Best of: Why do so many poeple struggle in early adulthood?
You've heard of a midlife crisis — but what about one during quarterlife? The years between adolescence and middle ages come with their own challenges. We'll talk with…
The 21st Show

Cory Haala on the populism that powered Midwest Democrats
In the 1980's, conservatism was on the rise in America, and Democrats were fighting over how best to respond. While the party struggled nationally, here in the Midwest…
News Local/State
man sitting at computer

Behind The Mic:  Newsroom editor Arjun Thakkar thinks public media is integral in combatting information overload
At Illinois Public Media, Arjun Thakkar helps reporters with story pitches, sources, and final editing, and sometimes reports stories himself.
Prairie Fire

Prairie Fire: Season 3 - Episode 7 - May 2026
For this month's Prairie Fire, students from the University of Illinois’ College of Media spent a semester producing five short documentaries highlighting food, skating,…
News Local/State
man sitting at computer

Behind The Mic:  Newsroom editor Arjun Thakkar thinks public media is integral in combatting information overload
At Illinois Public Media, Arjun Thakkar helps reporters with story pitches, sources, and final editing, and sometimes reports stories himself.
State of Change

Small gestures to make a big difference in preserving our planet
We visit a zero-waste general store, a garden bringing a community together in a Chicago food desert, a program protecting pollinators, and advice to increase sustainability…