In-depth reporting from WILL, NPR, the Associated Press, and other sources
Contact WILL News at willnewsroom@illinois.edu
One year ago today, our country was forever changed. A pro-Trump mob stormed the United States Capitol as a joint Congress session had assembled to count elector votes and formalize Joe Biden’s legitimate election as the next President. Last year, on January 7th, we had political analyst, historian, and author Jonathan Alter on the show, and he joined us again.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign journalism professor Nikki Usher talked about their book, News for the Rich, White and Blue, How Place And Power Distort American Journalism, which argues that news is increasingly geared toward people who are rich, white, and lean Democratic. This segment originally aired October 27, 2021.
As we asked "Who is in charge of the news?" we looked at the new Local Journalism Task Force, signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker. To find out who’s on the task force, their goals, and whether it will save local, independent journalism, we were joined by the bill’s creator, the bill's co-sponsor, the news director at Northern Public Radio, and a journalism professor. This segment originally aired October 27, 2021.
As we ask "Who’s in charge of news?" we explored non-profit news organizations focused on hard-hitting investigations and statehouse reporting. We were joined by representatives from Pro-Publica, the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, and Capitol News Illinois. This segment originally aired October 26, 2021.
As part of our weeklong "Who's In Charge of The News?" special series, we focused on the few companies that own TV stations and newspapers in downstate Illinois. This segment originally aired on October 26, 2021.
