Northwestern Medill School

Journalism’s Role in Translating Social Science for Policy and the Public Join IPR and Medill experts for a panel discussion on journalism’s role in translating social science for policy and the public.

How do journalists turn research into stories that shape policy and public understanding? Join @medillschool.bsky.social and IPR experts Louise Kiernan, @natalieymoore.bsky.social, and Charles Whitaker for a discussion on bridging journalism and social science. spr.ly/63328h4ff0

Even amid partial DHS shutdown, Illinois remains on edge over ICE coming back Article Summary Illinois and Chicago leaders are considering their legislative options while remaining on guard for another round of immigration

Illinois and Chicago leaders are considering their legislative options while remaining on guard for another round of immigration raids. Sam Freeman reports for @medillschool.bsky.social. https://loom.ly/sht1z8s

How Illinois’ Road Fund will help fund transit, especially in the Chicago region Article Summary A new state transit law redirects revenue from the state’s motor fuel tax and interest from the Road

With the passage of SB 2111, legislators raise alarm about the quality of Illinois’ roads & infrastructure projects originally supposed to be completed with the Road Fund. Jacques Abou-Rizk & Amy L Wong @medillschool.bsky.social report: https://loom.ly/mou7u9I

Students in a classroom, focused on laptops, seated in a row. One raises a hand, indicating engagement. The atmosphere is attentive and studious.

A group of five people collaborates around laptops in a classroom. One student is standing, showing a phone.

A group of three individuals, two women and someone in a yellow sweater, are speaking to an attentive audience in a classroom setting. Students are sitting with laptops open, facing a whiteboard. The atmosphere is focused and engaged.

Four students are collaborating in a classroom. Three are standing with laptops and tablets, while one is sitting, engaged in discussion.

BSJ students in Assistant Professor Melissa Isaacson's Intro to Sports Writing class practiced their reporting skills during a recent mock press conference with @nufhcats.bsky.social. Thank you for this incredible experience! 📰🏑

High schoolers flood state Capitol to advocate for drug abuse prevention bills Article Summary The Illinois Prevention Network rallied high school students to lobby state legislators to pass drug and alcohol regulation

The Illinois Prevention Network rallied high school students this week to lobby state legislators to pass drug and alcohol regulation bills. @medillschool.bsky.social students Georgia Epiphaniou and Jacques Abou-Rizk have more ➡️ https://loom.ly/B-_zPNM

Illinois soybean farmers welcome federal aid, but fear long-term trade damage Article Summary At the end of February, Illinois soybean farmers are set to receive special federal payments through the U.S.

Illinois soybean farmers are set to receive federal aid after last year’s trade-war losses. While farmers welcome the relief, some worry that it’s not enough to cover their losses. By @medillschool.bsky.social student Rebecka Pieder ➡️ https://loom.ly/V98uNMM

Cover image for "The Media Ecosystem Chicago," featuring a skyline with the Willis Tower. Includes colorful squares and text about media analysis in Chicago.

The Medill Local News Accelerator recently published a report highlighting the Chicago area's innovative and expansive media landscape, including the roles of influencers and niche publications that reach diverse audiences.

🗞️ Read more: spr.ly/63327hoFzv

Webinar poster titled "Silencing the Story: The Global War on Press Freedom," featuring two speakers' photos. Event details and Northwestern Medill logo included.

Join Medill this Thursday, February 26 for an important discussion about the war on press freedom around the world.🎤🌎

Don't miss out! Register for the webinar here: spr.ly/63322hW1V8

Human service advocates say they are worried after Pritzker’s status-quo budget proposal Article Summary Health and human service advocates gathered at a watch party at the Illinois State Library across the street

Lobbyists representing Illinois health and human service organizations held a watch party for JB Pritzker’s budget address. Some expressed concern that human services took a back seat in the speech. From @medillschool.bsky.social. https://loom.ly/N5B6pUk

Battle over data centers in Illinois pits consumer costs vs. state competitiveness Article Summary The debate over how to regulate data centers in Illinois is intensifying as lawmakers struggle to balance a

Lawmakers are trying again to regulate the data center industry as Pritzker moves to pause incentives. @medillschool.bsky.social student Gabriel Castilho ➡️ https://loom.ly/yvdjjk8

Collage of images from the Medill documentaries' selection at the 2026 American Documentary and Animation Film Festival.

Film strip header over text listing student documentaries: Cherish, Where the Sunflowers Grow, To Kyiv and Kakhovka, To Keep Her Safe. Below is the 15th AmDocs Festival logo, with dates March 25-29, 2026, in Palm Springs.

🎬 Four Medill documentaries from Professor @brenthuffman.bsky.social's class will premiere at the Academy Award-qualifying @amdocs.bsky.social Film Festival! You can watch their films at the 15th annual festival in Palm Springs from March 25-29. Learn more: spr.ly/63328hgzAu

Headshot of Jill Blackman on bright pink background with text that reads "Big Ten Academic Alliance: Careers in Data"

It's International Love Data Week and Director of Data Journalism @nwjill.bsky.social is speaking on a panel this Wed. to discuss careers in data. Leaders across @bigtenacademic.bsky.social will share insights into career pathways, skills and emerging trends: spr.ly/63324hOD9j

Even though marijuana is legal in Illinois, clearing old criminal records still a challenge Article Summary Illinois residents can face long delays in clearing their marijuana-related records even after judges approve expungement and sealing

Even after judges grant record-clearing petitions, Illinois residents say delays in updating their records stand in the way of a fresh start. Written by @medillschool.bsky.social student Kaitlin Bender-Thomas ➡️ https://loom.ly/mxOinMk

Local journalism matters—and we’re investing in it.
CJS has named its 2026 Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) awardees, committing nearly $450,000 to support 45 alumni from CJS and @medillschool.bsky.social working in local newsrooms across the country: journalism.columbia.edu/news/2026-lr...

Four @medillschool.bsky.social #documentaries from my classes will premiere at the Academy Award-qualifying American #Documentary Film Festival in March.

So proud of these first-time filmmakers!

You can watch in person in #PalmSprings March 25th-29th: amdocfilmfest.com

State looks to expand manufacturing training at community colleges Article Summary The state is accepting applications for $24 million in grant funds for downstate community colleges to build six

The state is continuing a push to bolster Illinois’ advanced manufacturing workforce, but the sector is facing a range of challenges. @medillschool.bsky.social student Reece Dower reports ➡️ https://loom.ly/A2iYPuc

Medill celebrates Black History Month. Two vintage photos: Left shows a person typing on a typewriter, right depicts a person at a video editing station. Purple background.

Happy Black History Month! Medill honors the accomplishments and legacy of our Black students, faculty and alumni who make a difference in our community. 💜

Student loan borrowers in Illinois could face federal, state ‘tax bomb’ in 2026 Article Summary Certain types of student loan forgiveness face federal and state taxes after a law that protected borrowers expired

Due to changes in federal tax policy, some student loan forgiveness may now be taxable. Sam Freeman @medillschool.bsky.social has more. https://loom.ly/yqkeHTg

Purple graphic with black text which reads "Next Gen News 2"

Chart showing data about how most young people encounter news at least daily.

Chart showing data about how young people are not generally trying to avoid news.

Today, @knightlab.northwestern.edu and FT Strategies just launched Next Gen News 2 — a deeper look at how next gen news consumers discover, engage with, and shape the news ecosystem.

👉 Dive into their research & insights: spr.ly/63328hDzxY

Four people with media passes stand courtside at a bustling basketball arena. The jumbotron displays the Chicago Bulls logo, adding excitement to the scene.

Five people stand smiling in front of a wall decorated with basketballs arranged in a bull logo pattern. They wear media passes and casual to formal attire.

These MSJ sports journalism students reported from courtside as they covered recent Chicago Bulls games versus the Utah Jazz and LA Clippers. 🏀

Illinois sees its worst flu season in recent years as vaccine skepticism grows Article Summary Illinois is experiencing a severe flu season with outbreak zones popping up across the state. Peak flu season

Illinois has one of its worst flu seasons in recent years as the CDC classifies the flu rate as “very high.” Olivia Ardito, Medill Illinois News Bureau, reports. @medillschool.bsky.social student, Olivia Ardito reports ➡️ https://loom.ly/bdoZ7qU

Purple graphic with headshot of Ed Malthouse with black text that reads, "Medill professor using data to tackle misinformation."

Medill Professor Edward Malthouse's research looks at using AI to personalize news recommendations and detect fake news articles. "There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and it’s hard to stay ahead of it," Malthouse said.

Learn more here: spr.ly/63321h6nSU

What an incredible night!

Thank you to all who braved arctic temperatures to see award winning #documentaries created in my Documenting #Carceral Injustice Program at the @medillschool.bsky.social and hear stories of #wrongfulconviction in Illinois.

As Illinois House returns to Springfield, Democrats focus on Trump Article Summary The Illinois House of Representatives met Wednesday to pass Democrat-introduced symbolic resolutions condemning the Trump administration's federal policies

Illinois House Democrats kicked off their spring session this week in a mostly symbolic fashion, denouncing President Donald Trump’s policies in series of resolutions. @medillschool.bsky.social students Georgia Epiphaniou & Erika Tulfo ➡️ https://loom.ly/2vawwpo

Purple graphic with white and yellow text along with photo of MSJ Magazine students.

🗣️ Attention Medill alumni: We are seeking volunteer mentors for our Magazine MSJ students! Interested? Complete this survey by January 26: spr.ly/63324CfuU0

Poster for "Framing Innocence: Storytelling and Wrongful Convictions" event on January 23 at 6 p.m. at the MFC.

🎬 Join Medill for a special event on January 23 that includes screenings of four award-winning documentaries created in Professor @brenthuffman.bsky.social's Carceral Injustice class. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

📝 The Medill Alumni Magazine's inaugural digital issue has dropped! For immersive stories about Medill and our inspiring alumni, click here: spr.ly/63328CI7Os

Headshots of the Sanctuary Stories participants, including professor Craig Duff.

Join us for a Medill alumni-exclusive reception before a special presentation of "Sanctuary Stories." This “living documentary” is a unique and unprecedented adventure in multimedia storytelling that brings journalism to life. Sign up here: spr.ly/63329CxeKf

Sheinelle Jones Reflects on Career Journey During 4th Hour Debut Sheinelle Jones reflects on her career journey during her debut as co-host of the fourth hour of TODAY. She opens up about pursuing her dream of working in TV news, shares how she looked up to reporter Kassandra Fleming and gets surprised by students from her alma mater, Northwestern University, who are following in her footsteps at the Medill School of Journalism!

During her debut as co-host of the fourth hour of @todayshow.com, Sheinelle Jones (BSJ00) was surprised by Medill students who are following in her footsteps.

💜 Watch the sweet moment here: spr.ly/63327CaRlL

Please join us for this very special event including an incredible panel and the screening of several award winning short documentaries from my Documenting #Carceral Injustice class @medillschool.bsky.social:
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