217 Today: Newspapers in rural areas are folding, leaving vast news deserts. But there are bright spots

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News editor and co-publisher Will Brumleve sits at his desk at the Ford County Chronicle in front of awards and text from the First Amendment. He and co-founder Andrew Rosten launched the newspaper in Paxton, Illinois, in 2020, one of the few new papers in the U.S. in recent years.
  • Photo: Jim Meadows / Harvest Public Media

Monday, April 15, 2024 

Today’s headlines: 

  • Illinois lawmakers are moving to update the state’s biometric privacy law. 
  • The major theme for a service celebrating the life of local educator Dr. William Patterson was, “It don’t stop.”
  • A shooting in a Chicago neighborhood killed a 7-year-old girl and left nearly a dozen others injured.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about how newspapers are experimenting with different strategies to keep local news alive.

Reporting today contributed by Alex Degman, Mae Antar, Jackie Quinn, and Jim Meadows.

 

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Farrah Anderson

Farrah Anderson is a 2024 graduate of the University of Illinois. At Illinois Public Media, Anderson works as a general assignment reporter focusing on police and investigative stories.