On the Scene: The McCormick Foundation Blog

Newspapers across the country have been in decline for decades and Chicago outlets have not been immune from precipitous drops in ad revenue and mass layoffs. But the region has been distinguishing itself nationally with its entrepreneurship in journalism. A new class of collaborative, equity-focused outlets are taking root in the region and attracting national attention with their commitment to listening and serving the public news they need to be civically informed. Innovative nonprofit and forprofit models are emerging to tackle the nation’s local news challenge, making Chicago a unique opportunity for research and partnership. Photo by Jenna Braunstein, Staff Photographer, Medill School of Journalism   Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is taking an ambitious step to more deeply engage with Chicago’s information ecosystem and launching the Metro Media Lab, a comprehensive series of initiatives to support local outlets

As households and businesses reeled in the wake of COVID-19, families suddenly found themselves unable to find or afford urgent child care supplies such as diapers, wipes and infant formula. Even while closed, more than 100 child care agencies across the city with links to those families stepped in to help, first by documenting their families’ needs — sometimes weekly — then by putting out the call more broadly for supplies. Hoarding at grocery stores depleted child care and cleaning supplies, not only in Chicago but nationwide, and stores were unable to restock fast enough to meet demand. Working with child care providers such as the YMCA, Gads Hill and the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, as well as the City of Chicago’s Dept. of Family and Support Services (DFSS) and the Cradles to Crayons, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation helped mobilize both a volunteer drive and bulk-purchasing of emergency child care supplies. Cradles to Crayons, which provides families living in homel