City Bureau
Building Community Power through Information and Connection
City Bureau
Building Community Power through Information and Connection
We're proud to share our 2026-27 Strategic Plan: explore our vision for the next two years!
Latest from Chicago
Local reporting and events
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Local reporting and events 〰️
Explore reporting from City Bureau’s journalists, Civic Reporting Fellows, and Chicago Documenters, with stories that address local issues and solutions while uplifting community perspectives. Whether our team is tracking policy decisions around housing or creating guides about labor rights, our reporting helps people make informed decisions and take action in their communities. You can count on coverage that’s trustworthy, transparent, and grounded in collaboration with the communities we serve.
Our Impact
Transforming communities from the ground up
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Transforming communities from the ground up 〰️
Our holistic approach to impact aligns closely with our mission, accounting for change on individual, community, and societal levels. From expanded civic leadership capacities to greater government transparency to policy change, our programs in Chicago and 22+ cities nationwide show that when more people participate in civic life and help shape local media, local government becomes more responsive, democracy gets stronger, and real change happens from the ground up.
Our Programs
Get involved!
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Get involved! 〰️
Sustained Impact Newsroom
Read our latest community engagement reporting from Chicago’s South and West Sides, or create the news your neighborhood needs by applying to our Civic Reporting Fellowship and gaining new skills in a supportive and collaborative environment.
Documenters
Whether you’re located in Chicago or in one of the 20+ communities participating in our national Documenters Network, or curious about participatory civic media, City Bureau’s Documenters program is making local government more accessible for everyone. You can get trained and paid to attend and take notes at local public meetings—while creating a powerful community information resource for your neighbors.
Civic Education and Public Newsrooms
Connect with others about local issues that matter to you through accessible civic education and meaningful partnerships. Our Public Newsroom events break down barriers to participation, creating spaces where neighbors learn together, share resources, and build relationships that strengthen communities.
Digital Equity IMPACT Small Grants Program
City Bureau is partnering with Cook County’s Digital Equity Initiative to help local organizations expand internet access, improve digital literacy, and amplify community voices through storytelling. In 2024, we launched the IMPACT Small Grants Program to provide funding and support to nonprofits, media organizations, and libraries across Suburban Cook County who are driving change in their communities by addressing the digital divide.
+ Learn about Digital Equity IMPACT
Latest Stories
Check out our recent reporting!
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Check out our recent reporting! 〰️
From Our Civic Reporting Fellows
From the Notebook Blog
From Chicago Documenters
Support City Bureau
Invest in our work
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Invest in our work 〰️
Your contribution affirms and sustains the transformative model City Bureau has been cultivating since our founding. You’re not just supporting local journalism–you’re equipping people with civic skills to take action and improve their communities.
Upcoming Events
Join us in Chicago!
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Join us in Chicago! 〰️
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