SPJ Foundation awards $15,000 to support 2027 FOIA Fest
SPJ Foundation awards $15,000 to support FOIA Fest 2027, the Chicago Headline Club’s annual public-records training program for journalists.
Latest Updates
Chicago journalist Jillian Melero elected SPJ director-at-large
Chicago-area journalist Jillian Melero, a longtime leader of the Chicago Headline Club, was elected an at-large director of the Society of Professional Journalists this month, giving Chicago journalism a new voice on the national organization’s board. The election results were announced Sunday, Oct. 4, after four days of voting during […]
SPJ26: Headline Club president recounts fight to protect journalists during Operation Midway Blitz
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Chicago Headline Club President Jeff Arnold, spoke on an SPJ26 panel titled “How to Become a Press Freedom Advocate,” sharing the story of how the Headline Club sued the federal government for its actions against journalists and protesters during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago. The panel took […]
Chicago Headline Club hosts free media career fair Oct. 9
The Chicago Headline Club will host its annual career fair on Friday, Oct. 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Impact House, 200 W. Madison St. The free event is open to journalists, media professionals, and students at any career stage — whether job hunting, considering a change, or building […]
Chicago journalists invited to gather at 2026 Unity Picnic
Chicago’s journalism community is throwing a party — and you’re invited. On Thursday, Sept. 10, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., journalists from across the city’s newsrooms, professional associations and neighborhoods will gather at Promontory Point for food, drinks, and the kind of conversation that happens when you’re not chasing deadline. […]
CHC Foundation awards internship grants to 15 West and Investigative Project on Race and Equity
The Chicago Headline Club Foundation has awarded $5,000 internship grants to 15 West and the Investigative Project on Race and Equity (IPRE), two Chicago-area nonprofit journalism organizations focused on community-centered and accountability reporting. The grants will support paid internship opportunities for student journalists and early-career reporters, helping both organizations provide […]
DePaul’s Grace Logan wins 2026 Les Brownlee Memorial Scholarship
By Storer Rowley The Chicago Headline Club and Foundation announced Friday that DePaul University junior Grace Logan has been named the recipient of the 2026 Les Brownlee Memorial Scholarship, a $5,000 annual award supporting emerging journalists in Chicago and Illinois. The Foundation received applications from student journalists attending colleges and […]
These are the winners of the 49th Annual Peter Lisagor Awards
The Chicago Headline Club congratulates all the winners of the 49th annual Peter Lisagor Awards for exemplary journalism. The awards were handed out May 8, 2026 at a gathering of more than 200 members of the local media community. The entries were judged by an impartial Society of Professional Journalists […]
’25 Brownlee Scholarship Winner Encourages Illinois Journalism Students to Apply Early
By Richard Ray If there’s a message from last year’s winner of the Les Brownlee Memorial Scholarship to this year’s applicants, it’s to go for it. “It wasn’t really daunting if that’s what people are worried about,” 21-year-old Carly Gist said of her experience. “It was a pretty smooth application […]
Building Safer Journalists: Inside Our Domestic Conflict Training
On March 23-24, the Chicago Headline Club and Foundation welcomed nearly two dozen journalists and trainers to DePaul’s downtown communications center for an intensive two-day Hostile Environment and First Aid Training (HEFAT) designed to prepare reporters and photographers to safely cover protests, civil unrest, and other high-risk assignments. This training—part […]