''The Chicago Reporter'' is a monthly periodical based in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Illinois, USA. Founded in 1972, it covers poverty and race issues. It was founded by John A. McDermott, who sought to create "the nation's first publication devoted to analyzing and investigating local racial issues."ROSSI, ROSALIND. "Chicago Reporter founder John McDermott dies at 70," Chicago Sun-Times, August 19, 1996: 16, accessed July 05, 2017, via Newsbank. In 1974, its yearly budget was $120,000, most of which was paid by the

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a $25,000 (about $550,000 in 2023) gift from Edsel Ford. ...

. In 2016, sister publication ''Catalyst'', focused on education, merged into '' The Chicago Reporter''. The interim editor and publisher is Glenn Reedus.

Impact

''The Chicago Reporter's'' investigative reporting has had impact in several areas of Chicago and Illinois infrastructure. The paper's earliest influence was its expose of the

Chicago Police Department The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is the primary law enforcement agency of the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, under the jurisdiction of the Chicago City Council. It is the second-largest Law enforcement in the United States#Local, ...

's discriminatory disorderly conduct arrests in 1982, which prompted the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. T ...

(ACLU) to file suit against them, leading to a U.S. District Court Judge to rule their arrests unconstitutional. By 1983, the Chicago Police Department's disorderly arrest policy had to be changed to meet federal law. In 2007, ''The Chicago Reporter'' also released a study detailing how the largest mortgage lender in the country, Countrywide, was lending high interest loans in majority to minority lenders leading then attorney general of Illinois

Lisa Madigan Lisa Murray Madigan (born July 30, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she served as Illinois Attorney General, Attorney General of the U.S. state of Illinois from 2003 t ...

to subpoena Countrywide, ultimately resulting in an $8.7 billion settlement in 2008. ''The Chicago Reporter'' also won recognition for reporting on the

Chicago Fire Department The Chicago Fire Department (CFD) provides firefighting services along with emergency medical response services, hazardous materials mitigation services, and technical rescue response services in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, un ...

's under-reporting fire deaths in poor and minority neighborhoods.

Reputation

''The Chicago Reporter's'' style is regarded as "dispassionate investigative journalism" that has garnered it critical acclaim by several other news publications as well as politicians. U.S. Senator for Illinois,

Dick Durbin Richard Joseph Durbin (born November 21, 1944) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of Illinois, a seat he has held since 1997. A member of the Dem ...

, has said, "''The Chicago Reporter'' gives us reflection, not reflex. In a digital world of speed and brevity, their coverage takes the time and invests the analysis in issues ranging from gun control to deficits to immigration. ''The Chicago Reporter'' earns its stripes with credibility and relevance".

Clarence Page Clarence Page (born June 2, 1947) is an American journalist, syndicated columnist, and senior member of the ''Chicago Tribune'' editorial board. Early years Page was born in Dayton, Ohio, and attended Middletown High School in Middletown where ...

of the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' stated "''The Chicago Reporter'' is 'consistently focused on covering what continues to be Chicago's toughest, yet most important story: race relations.'"

Awards

''The Chicago Reporter'' and its staff have won several awards beginning in 1974, including the

Sigma Delta Chi Award The Sigma Delta Chi Awards are presented annually by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) (formerly Sigma Delta Chi) for excellence in journalism. The SPJ states the purpose of the award is to promote "the free flow of information vital ...

for Public Service from the

Society of Professional Journalists The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University,2009 SPJ Annual Report, lette ...

, dozens of Peter Lisagor Awards, and the Salute to Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalists.

References

External links

Official website
*The Chicago Reporter papers/records are held by th
Chicago History Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chicago Reporter 1972 establishments in Illinois Monthly magazines published in the United States Political magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1972 Magazines published in Chicago