A new law took effect Wednesday, July 1, that expanded the definition of cyberbullying to include AI-generated images. Naomi Taxay reports for @medillschool.bsky.social.

Congratulations to alumna Mara Brock Akil (BSJ92) for the success of 'Forever,' a @netflix.com show she created which recently won a Peabody Award! 🏆 An adaptation of Judy Blume’s 1975 novel, the show depicts two charming teens navigating love and life in Black middle class Los Angeles. 📺

Congratulations to alumna @katpham.bsky.social (BSJ24) for receiving the 2026 AAJA-Medill Innovator Award! Pham is an award-winning multimedia storyteller currently working at @chicagoreader.com. Read more about her work here: spr.ly/63328BD0FhA

📢 Join our team! The Medill Local News Initiative is expanding the State of Local News Project and seeking a Researcher to study local news access across the Midwest. Learn more & apply: careers.northwestern.edu/psc/hrnu_er/...

Local News KILLS Partisanship & Builds Trust! Full Episode: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

Even though Illinois farmers are producing massive harvests, family bankruptcies have surged. Rising land rent, trade uncertainty and farm debt are squeezing margins causing Illinois farmers to face a fragile future. Tara Sun reports for @medillschool.bsky.social. buff.ly/jgrKFYV

For generations, the Daily Herald has been a cornerstone of suburban Chicago news. As ownership changes hands, questions remain about what this transition could mean for community coverage and the future of local news in the suburbs. Read more: localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

Congrats to Associate Professor James Lee for receiving the 2026 @aejmc.bsky.social Tankard Book Award! 👏 The award recognizes the most outstanding book in the field of journalism and communication, honoring authors whose work embodies excellence in research, writing, and creativity. 📚

Immigration attorneys and advocates say the uncertainty surrounding TPS and immigration enforcement has heightened fears within the Haitian community. ncnewsline.com/2026/06/23/r... @medillschool.bsky.social

Axios Local Executive Editor Holly Moore on building a 37-market newsletter network and how AI can reshape newsroom workflows without replacing journalists. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

From Chicago to Ottawa and Jacksonville, local radio stations across Illinois are grappling with the shutdown of CBS News Radio in different ways. Chloe Park reports for @medillschool.bsky.social. buff.ly/ucKof1p

Join us in celebrating Northwestern's @morelatinosinnews.bsky.social chapter for their incredible accomplishments! 🎉 ⭐ NU NAHJ was selected as a finalist for the NAHJ Student Chapter of the Year ⭐ BSJ student Tomas Moran was selected as an NAHJ Ruben Salazar Scholarship Recipient

Jon Marshall is Associate Professor at @medillschool.bsky.social. His research focuses on journalism history & the relationship between presidents & press. Among his books: “Clash: Presidents & the Press in Times of Crisis.” A former journalist, he is often cited by news media.

REGISTER NOW for "America @ 250: A Journalism Reckoning!" Making of a Nation. Unmaking of a Narrative. Who Gets to Tell the Story? 📅 JULY 16 🕕 6–9pm 📍 Impact House, 200 W Madison St., Chicago forms.cloud.microsoft/r/EDCzq639gB We continue unveiling this powerful speaker line-up!

As federal funding uncertainty mounts, a recently passed bill aims to address deficiencies in its contracting process. Hannah Webster reports for @medillschool.bsky.social. buff.ly/DuxOEY1

While legislative attempts to solve the Illinois housing shortage stalled in the spring session, housing advocates still found wins to celebrate. @marisa-gech.bsky.social reports for @medillschool.bsky.social.

What happens when local news disappears? Left Uncovered: Inside North Carolina’s News Deserts explores the growing local news crisis and its impact on communities, featuring data and reporting from The State of Local News Report. Watch the documentary from WRAL here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1NS...

Democrats passed a bill that would require considering access to reproductive and gender-affirming health care when Illinois foster children are placed out of state. Hannah Webster reports for @medillschool.bsky.social.

NPR CEO Katherine Maher joins the State of Local News Podcast to discuss local journalism, trust, sustainability, and rebuilding civic connection. 🎙️⬇️ localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

Wonderful to see #Yemen on the front page of The Art Newspaper! Thank you Melissa Grolund for writing about this glimmer of hope for the incredible cultural heritage of Yemen chronicled in my #documentary work-in-progress The Future is Written in Stone. www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/06/01/y...

Medill senior Michelle Sheen (BSJ26) spent her time at Northwestern studying how design can shape the way journalistic stories are consumed. She was recently featured in the alumni magazine for being a Northwestern Scholarship recipient. Read the article: spr.ly/63323B8qnSd

This summer, Medill will launch a new Military Reporting Project in collaboration with the 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley, Kan., giving students a rare opportunity to report while embedded with troops. Read more here: spr.ly/63327B8WRYz

Thank you to the incredible writer Melissa Gronlund at the Art Newspaper for featuring my work in #Yemen chronicling heroic Yemeni women saving heritage during the war in my work-in-progress #documentary “The Future is Written in Stone”. www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/06/01/y...

CEO of @npr.org Katherine Maher joins the State of Local News Podcast to discuss newsroom restructuring, federal funding cuts and the future of local public media. 🎙️ Watch here: spr.ly/63329B8Zl41

Please join us for the premieres of four incredible short #documentaries at the @medillschool.bsky.social of Journalism on Thursday June 11th 6:30PM in the MFC Forum. This is a FREE event open to the public. Please come out and support these first time filmmakers!

Illinois grows more soybeans than any other state, but almost none become food for local tables. Tara Sun reports for @medillschool.bsky.social buff.ly/eODKk9O

Join The Medill Solutions Journalism Hub for its Summer Summit where attendees will learn how to use data and reframing to surface responses to systemic harm. 📰 🔗 Register: spr.ly/63321B8XYy9

A couple of Northwestern classmates at the Women’s Lacrosse Final Four in Evanston. @medillschool.bsky.social

MSJ students traveled to Mexico City in early 2026 to report on stories shaping life in and around the city — from women reclaiming public art spaces to efforts to preserve centuries-old farming traditions. Their stories were featured on @wttw.bsky.social! Watch here: spr.ly/63324B8GIPn

State of Local News Project's director Zach Metzger spoke with CNN about the lack of access to local news in military communities, leaving millions with fewer reliable sources of information. Watch here: www.cnn.com/2026/05/20/u...

Since 2005, newspapers in areas with U.S. military bases have disappeared at a rate four times higher than the national average. Zachary Metzger of @localnewsini.bsky.social was recently on @cnn.com to share his research. Watch the segment here: spr.ly/63321B8DwJ5

The sponsor of a bill extending unemployment benefits to public school support staff during summer break says he’s still pushing to approve the measure by the end of May. Molly A. Wallace reports for @medillschool.bsky.social. buff.ly/t4AkTP8

Congratulations to Wendy Clark, partner and president of Consello, for receiving the 2026 Don Schultz Award for Innovation in Teaching, Theory and Practice of Integrated Marketing Communications! 🎉 Learn more about Clark's career: spr.ly/63328B86lsy

The @localnewsini.bsky.social is partnering with the @maynardinstitute.bsky.social to invite journalism industry professionals to a FREE training. 📆 June 4-5, 2026 📍 303 E. Wacker Dr., 16th Fl. Register by May 26 here: spr.ly/63322BBAgVC

SABEW gives president's award to @medillschool.bsky.social professor Desiree Hanford: talkingbiznews.com/media-news/s...

As states await regulations for the Trump-backed Education Freedom Tax Credit, Gov. JB Pritzker, education advocates and legislators weigh the costs and benefits of opting in. @marisa-gech.bsky.social reports for @medillschool.bsky.social. buff.ly/pFujVVE

TEN DAYS LEFT! Register for the #FREE Maynard Regional Training Series, in partnership with @medillschool.bsky.social. #Journalism #ProfessionalDevelopment for early- and mid-career editors and managers. mije.org/programs/for...

Backers are no longer pushing a bill that would have prohibited police from using facial recognition software this session, in part because the debate has become tied to the March 19 shooting of Loyola University freshman Sheridan Gorman in Rogers Park. buff.ly/NkTyNkP

The fight to save the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette raises a bigger question: what does it actually mean to save local news? New reporting from the Local News Initiative explores the future of legacy newspapers and civic information. localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2026/0...

In @localnewsini.bsky.social's new podcast episode, Tim Franklin sits down with Chuck Todd to discuss the connection between the erosion of trust in national media and the decline of local news, and why local journalism must return to being deeply embedded in communities: spr.ly/63329BBarbU

New today in @publisherslunch.bsky.social! We're so excited for this announcement with @medillschool.bsky.social. Learn more here: www.agatepublishing.com/blog/2026/05...

Thank you to Scott Kirby, CEO of @united.com, for joining Medill Dean Charles Whitaker today to discuss why the best CEOs are also open communicators and master storytellers. ✈️ The event was introduced by Medill alumnus Anthony Fleet (IMC17).

Trust in U.S. elections is eroding. Between skepticism about redistricting, fear about immigration agents at the polls, and unproven claims about widespread election fraud, Americans are losing confidence in the accuracy and security of their elections.

With the Old Joliet Prison as a backdrop, fans help kick off festivities celebrating the centennial of the “Mother Road” — U.S. Route 66 — which was decommissioned in 1985. Julia Levy reports for @medillschool.bsky.social ➡️ buff.ly/i6Yauak

Route 66 is turning 100 this year, and Illinois is in the midst of a year-long celebration of the former U.S. highway dubbed the “Mother Road.” Story + 📸 by Chloe Park for @medillschool.bsky.social buff.ly/pa1mtQC

Medill has selected Julie Pace (BSJ04), senior vice president and executive editor of @apnews.com, to speak to 2026 graduates and their families as our convocation speaker! 🎓 Read about Pace and our student speakers here: spr.ly/63324BBsZwg

We are excited to announce the pilot project of our Medill Books imprint partnership with @agatepublishing.bsky.social. 📚 Tentatively titled "Your Plate and the Planet," the book written by Liza Schoenfein (MSJ89) is a guide to reducing greenhouse gas emissions: spr.ly/63321BBSC4f

So very honored to see our Policing the Vulnerable series take home two Lisagors (for Best Health and Best Government reporting - small/online) at last night’s ceremony. Incredibly proud of team @southsideweekly.bsky.social @mindsitenews.bsky.social @medillschool.bsky.social & @invisible.institute

Join Medill on May 12 for a special conversation with @united.com CEO Scott Kirby. ✈️ Kirby will sit down with Dean Charles Whitaker to explore why the best CEOs are also master storytellers. The event is open to the entire Northwestern community. Register here: spr.ly/63323BBmXKJ

Want your local government to actually listen? @WGLTNews – Bloomington-Normal's Public Media is reporting on what works — and what doesn't — when citizens show up to advocate for change. Tune in the week of May 11. #HealingIllinois #DemocracyLivesHere