The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has awarded a $715,000 grant to seven public media stations in Illinois to launch the Illinois Newsroom journalism collaboration, which will be led by Illinois Public Media (WILL AM/FM/TV).
The Illinois Newsroom will seek to expand the stations’ in-depth reports, series, investigations and video programs for all platforms. The group will also hold events, discussion and workshops on important topics for community members, civic leaders, students and journalists. With funding from CPB and the public media partner, eight journalists will focus on reporting on political issues, education, and health and environment.
The stations that will partner in this grant include Illinois Public Media (WILL, Urbana), WTVP(TV), Peoria, NPR|Illinois Public Radio (WUIS, Springfield and Pittsfield), WSIU (Carbondale, Mt. Vernon and Olney), Tri-States Public Radio (Macomb and Galesburg, Ill., and Keokuk and Burlington, Iowa), WVIK, Quad Cities (Moline and Rock Island, Ill., and Bettendorf and Davenport, Iowa) and WEIU-TV (Charleston).
The group will work with Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting and with Brant Houston, Knight chair in investigative and enterprise reporting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Media. The collaboration will produce journalism for partner stations and work with national programs, including PBS “NewsHour” and NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”
