Our Mission Our Work Leadership Our Staff Jobs Policies Press Releases Our History
Training Hub Apprenticeships FOIA Fest Boot Camp 2026 FOIA Fest Boot Camp Cohort
Newsletter Press
Featured
19_ZayraGuzman_091.jpg
Immigrants with longtime community ties and U.S. citizen children are finding success challenging their detention in federal court

Hundreds of Illinois immigrants have filed wrongful detention lawsuits since the Trump Administration’s Operation Midway Blitz began in September. Many of them have U.S. citizen children and longtime community ties.

Read more →
Featured
120619048057.jpg
Illinois tax sales get an overhaul, but how much will homeowners benefit?

State legislators passed historic reforms to Illinois’ controversial tax sales, which had led to thousands losing their homes and all of their home equity.

Read more →
SPRINGFIELD-05.jpg
Steps Illinois lawmakers could take to reform the state’s tax sale laws

Efforts in other states offer road maps for improving outcomes for homeowners and addressing the harms of tax foreclosure.

Read more →

Equipping the Next Generation

Training

Featured
Screenshot 2026-06-16 at 7.40.05 AM.png
How journalists can verify and use images responsibly in reporting

Relying on visuals in reporting, journalists need to confirm where they came from, what they show and how they are being interpreted. Answering those questions is part of a reporting process known as verification.

Read more →
How images shape narratives: a guide to reading photographs critically
How images shape narratives: a guide to reading photographs critically

How photography influences public understanding and why journalists must interpret images with the same scrutiny applied to text, data and sources.

Read more →
How journalists escalate FOIA requests when agencies refuse to release records

What journalists can do when agencies block records and how to keep investigations moving without waiting months — or years — for a response.

Read more →
When ICE won’t respond, local records help expose immigration enforcement

Use these FOIA strategies for immigration enforcement reporting.

Read more →

Upcoming Events

virtual Data Journalism Training

Learn about data scraping web pages, building graphics and more / Aug. 12 / Virtual / REGISTER >>

Movement Journalism 201

Learn how to sharpen what the industry vaguely refers to as “news judgement” / Aug. 12 / Virtual / REGISTER >>

See more events on our Training page.

innovative programs

Our Work

Data-Driven Investigations

Our dispassionate style of fact-based, data-driven reporting uncovers systemic racial and economic disparities.

Collaborative Reporting

We partner with Chicago media outlets to support major investigations on race and equity issues in the region and across Illinois.

Journalism Training

Our investigative workshop series helps journalists develop investigative skills, while creating a pipeline of diverse and skilled reporters.

Apprenticeship Program

Our apprenticeship program gives aspiring investigative reporters hands-on experience coupled with a training series and mentorship.

investing in INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM

Supporters

meaningful coLlaborations

Partners