If you know anything about the Illinois Times, you know it’s been around for a long time.
Fifty-one years in September. A half-century of providing in-depth coverage on topics that needed to be reported on. Holding people accountable isn’t always popular but it is needed in any community.
There’s no question we need even more of that here. I believe Illinois Times is uniquely positioned to fill the news needs of our region. And I’m delighted to share that we are taking another step in accomplishing that goal.
Tuesday, Sept. 8, marks the launch of Today’s Times, an emailed daily newsletter with the top headlines and news you need to be informed – sign up here. We know there are many newsletters you can and already have delivered to your inbox. We hope Today’s Times will stand out in ways that make you want to open it every morning, Monday through Friday.
There will be news, of course: The top headlines from the constant reports our newsroom is posting online throughout the week. There will be a section dedicated to Good News, which will be a space to celebrate the wonderful people, places and happenings in our region. We need more of that too.
And check out our Photo of the Day feature, where we will have an image from a local event or story. While some will be taken by our staff, we also invite all of you to share your favorite moments with our community. Submit an original photo of local people, places or events for a chance to be featured as Photo of the Day not just in the newsletter but on the Illinois Times website and social media channels.
We appreciate the businesses who are supporting us through their advertisements in the newsletter, and note that there are opportunities to sponsor event listings in this too.
This is just another step in the evolution of Illinois Times. The publication has been publishing in Springfield for 51 years as of Sept. 18. A year ago, it was announced that the publication would transition into a nonprofit news organization, Local Journalism Matters. Making such a move would allow the publication to accept charitable gifts, which will be used to fund an expansion of the reporting on important issues our community so desperately needs. We recently added a municipal government reporter, bringing our full-time reporting staff to three.
LJM continues to publish Illinois Times, Springfield Business Journal and several niche publications, like the annual Visitor’s Guide and the quarterly Parent magazine. The print edition of IT will continue to be available on more than 400 newsstands throughout our six-county circulation area. What will change is more content online, which we will share through the newsletter.
Please join us for this next chapter in our history, and check out Today’s Times starting Sept. 8.
Kate McKenzie is the CEO of Local Journalism Matters. She can be reached at kmckenzie@illinoistimes.com
