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Chicago Public Media — WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Vocalo — depends on civic leaders like you to keep truth stronger than propaganda.
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Why This Matters Now
Chicago thrives when truth has a home. That home is Chicago Public Media — our city’s independent newsroom and cultural heartbeat. When reporters have the resources to investigate, explain, and connect, residents make better decisions, communities feel seen, and leaders are held to account.
After years of volatility, significant federal support has been eliminated, creating an immediate gap between what our city needs and what our newsroom can fund. The consequence is simple: fewer journalists, fewer local stories, and less daylight where power needs scrutiny. The solution is also simple: us.
A Personal Stake in the Story
Parity Access founder Lerry Knox traces his commitment to this moment back to a lesson he can’t forget. In 2011, during a German Marshall Fund fellowship, he visited a former concentration camp and saw clearly how authoritarianism advances — first by capturing the press and replacing truth with propaganda.
“I came home and joined the Chicago Public Media board because I believe a free, well-funded press is democracy’s immune system.”
Today, that immune system needs strengthening.
How You Can Help
Engage. Donate. Amplify.
Make a leadership gift using the form on this page. Download the WBEZ and Sun-Times apps and become a daily user. Share this campaign with fellow civic leaders and peers.
Every contribution and every engagement accelerates hiring and protects beats that matter: schools, public safety, the environment, arts and culture, and neighborhood reporting. Whether you donate, engage, or both, you are helping keep Chicago informed, connected, and prepared.
Take action now.
Use the form above to donate. Your leadership today keeps the truth in Chicago tomorrow.