Illinois shows the real gap: Reach, not just reporting

Across Illinois, one pattern was clear: journalism exists—but many people don’t see it, use it or trust it.

Instead, they build their own information networks through social media, group chats, community leaders and everyday interactions.

Illinois residents are eager for inclusive, trusted, community-centered journalism. As Danielle Williams, a 48-year-old Black woman from Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, shared during a community listening session:

“Thank you all for doing this. Hopefully, positive changes come from it.”

For publishers, this is the shift: the challenge isn’t just producing journalism. It’s making sure it actually reaches people.

People aren’t loyal to outlets—they’re loyal to information

Audiences today don’t start with a newsroom. They start with what’s useful, accessible and shared by people they trust.

That means:

Discovery happens through feeds, texts and word of mouth
Credibility is shaped by repetition and relevance
Formats that feel direct and human often resonate more than polished stories

The unit of impact is no longer your brand. It’s how often your journalism shows up in people’s daily lives.

Distribution is the work

Distribution is not promotion—it’s core to the journalism itself.

Across Illinois, trusted information flows through:

Facebook groups and WhatsApp chains
Community organizations and local leaders
Physical spaces like libraries, laundromats and neighborhood hubs

If your journalism isn’t present in these spaces, it’s not part of the ecosystem people rely on.

Youth discuss during a community listening session — The Pivot Fund brought together nine young Black women for a community news listening session on Thursday, July 31, at the Girls Like Me Project headquarters. The community area, which has a significant Black population, is located on Chicago’s South Side, where it is known for being the home of the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. It is also the endpoint for the annual Bud Billiken parade, Chicago’s longtime celebration of Black youth and culture.

Trust is built through relevance and representation

Communities aren’t rejecting news—they’re rejecting coverage that feels incomplete.

They want:

Stories that reflect the full reality of their lives
Coverage beyond crisis—culture, solutions, everyday experiences
Opportunities to engage, not just consume

Trust grows when people feel seen, not just covered.

The ecosystem already exists—plug into it

Even where formal media is weak, people are actively:

Sharing information
Verifying what they see
Relying on trusted messengers

The opportunity isn’t to rebuild from scratch. It’s to connect your journalism to the networks people already use.

People discuss during a Pivot Fund Listening session — The Pivot Fund organized an in-person Muslim listening session on Oct. 16 with 12 community members (11 women, 1 man) from Chicagoland suburbs.

What this means for publishers

Design for how people actually get information—not how you wish they did
Treat distribution as core infrastructure, not an afterthought
Build partnerships with trusted community institutions and messengers
Create journalism people can use in real life—not just read
Show up consistently in the spaces where your audience already gathers

Bottom line

The problem is not that people don’t want news.

It’s that news isn’t reaching them in ways that fit how they live.

Closing that gap is where the biggest opportunity—and responsibility—now sits for publishers.

Analysis