Press Forward in Central Illinois
The Mid-Illinois Communications Association hosted a Lunch & Learn on September 23, 2026, with guest speakers Stacy Reed and Kate McKenzie discussing “Press Forward in Central Illinois.” Stacy is chief program officer at the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln and director of Press Forward Springfield, and Kate is CEO of Local Journalism Matters, the recently established nonprofit that operates the Illinois Times and Springfield Business Journal.
INTRODUCTION: HOW WE GOT HERE
Stacy Reed spoke first, sharing some background about the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln, which is built from many donors and many types of charitable funds. It supports community organizations and is “here for the long term,” she said.
She explained that the Community Foundation views local news as part of the infrastructure of a healthy community. As the Foundation’s philanthropic resources have grown, so has its capacity for community leadership, she added.
Stacy noted: The state of local news has become a community issue, not merely a media-industry issue. Local news should go hand-in-hand with any cause or issue that people care about – for example, education.
She displayed an onscreen slide comparing the State Journal-Register’s coverage of storms in 2006 (tornadoes) vs 2023 (derecho). The slide showed a sharp decline in the number of stories about the 2023 storm.
The late Patrick Coburn, who had been publisher of the SJ-R, left an unrestricted gift to the Community Foundation. Stacy described how she virtually attended a Knight Foundation conference and subsequently connected with someone from the MacArthur Foundation. The result: Central Illinois has a $2 million permanent endowment for the Press Forward Springfield local news initiative – $1 million from the Coburn bequest/Community Foundation and a $1 million match from the MacArthur Foundation.
Press Forward is a national movement – a network of groups, such as the Community Foundation of the Land of Lincoln, working throughout the United States to “strengthen local news so communities stay informed, connected and engaged,” as the Press Forward website states.
MOVING FORWARD, PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
Stacy said the Community Foundation continues to raise funds and build relationships in connection with Press Forward Springfield. Its first step was to listen to what others had to say.
They didn’t want people to think the Foundation “had all the answers,” she said, adding: Central Illinois doesn’t lack good journalism; we do need a “better ecosystem” for good journalism.
The Foundation’s goal is to build a stronger, more stable ecosystem for how people consume news today. The goal isn’t to try to rebuild the newspaper as it existed 20 years ago, Stacy said.
Stacy mentioned a recent Press Forward Springfield “local news summit” that took place at the University of Illinois Springfield. Earlier this year, the Community Foundation committed $500,000 to help Springfield’s weekly, Illinois Times, convert from a for-profit business to a nonprofit.
LOCAL JOURNALISM MATTERS, A NEW NONPROFIT
As part of that conversion, Kate McKenzie was hired in the spring of 2026 to become the first CEO of Local Journalism Matters, the nonprofit established to operate Illinois Times and the Springfield Business Journal.
Kate spoke about her role and the ongoing work of Local Journalism Matters.
She described her professional background as a journalist (reporter and editor) and a fundraiser for public radio. Kate noted the long history of Illinois Times (IT)/Springfield Business Journal and their well-deserved reputation for valuing accuracy and informing the community so people are equipped to make good decisions. It’s amazing to be part of such an organization, she said.
Kate added that she believes journalism holds people accountable and that it is an honor for her to be part of the team writing IT’s next chapter. Already, Illinois Times has grown from one reporter on staff to three. They plan to keep growing and increasing their news coverage.
Among the recent developments:
Illinois Times now has a daily e-newsletter. You can sign up at the IT website.
Readers can submit photos via the website.
IT will be bringing back the community spelling bee.
Kate is working on spreading the word about the positive things that Local Journalism Matters is doing. She has been speaking to community groups, service clubs, etc., and is definitely open to doing more of that.
CONCLUSION AND Q&A
Here are some highlights from the question-and-answer part of the program:
Q: What can we do to help with Press Forward Springfield/Local Journalism Matters?
A: Kate said there are several ways members of the community can help. They include supporting the initiative financially, sharing on social media the stories that reporters write and publish, using and telling others about services that IT offers, such as obituaries.
Q: What about developing future journalists?
A: Stacy pointed out that University of Illinois Springfield has the Public Affairs Reporting program, which is a good thing. She added that there is a growing interest in journalism among students.
MICA’s next event will be October 29, a Lunch & Learn program at the Horace Mann building called “Mission-Driven Messaging: Communications Best Practices for Associations and Not-for-Profits.” It will be a panel discussion featuring Zhavier Harris, marketing and communications manager for the Springfield Urban League; Karen Sanders, Vice President, Advancement/Executive Director, Lincoln Land Community College Foundation; and Bev Neisler, President and CEO/Founder of Leadership411. Register and get more information on the MICA website.
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