Archive
It’s Our Birthday
We’ve published nearly 150 articles, filed thousands of open records requests and taken a lot of road trips. Now, we’re excited for what’s next.
Citizens Count on the Illinois Freedom of Information Act but Keep Getting Shut Out
The office of the public access counselor was supposed to enforce open government laws. Nearly a decade later, it’s backlogged and frequently ignored.
Illinoisans on Illinois: Tips and Tales From Around the State
We told you we were getting out of Chicago. You told us where to look.
How Much Money Is Being Spent in the Illinois Governor’s Race?
Bruce Rauner and JB Pritzker are setting new records — and we’re keeping track.
Southbound on the Amtrak Saluki, and Getting to Know Illinois
The best way for a Chicago reporter to learn about the rest of the state is to go there. Often.
Has the Internet Changed Fact-Checking? Well, It Depends.
The sources haven’t changed much, but accessing them nowadays involves just a few clicks. And no, we don’t use Wikipedia.
What More Can We Learn From Chicago Ticket Data?
We’ve made the data easy to download, and we invite you to use it as we keep reporting.
Crossing the Divide: The Challenges and Rewards of Working in Spanish-Language Media
A conversation with Chicago journalist Jackie Serrato about bottom-up reporting, building trust and covering local arrests by ICE.
Note to the Next Mayor: Chicago Is a City of the World, But We Want the Neighborhoods Fixed, Too
In the community where Officer Jason Van Dyke shot Laquan McDonald four years ago, residents worry about policing, crime and inequality.
Esto es lo que pasó a los 99 niños inmigrantes separados de sus padres y enviados a Chicago
Documentos confidenciales revelan detalles sobre los problemas para encontrar a los padres y las experiencias traumáticas durante la política de tolerancia cero de la administración Trump.
Here’s What Happened to the 99 Immigrant Children Separated From Their Parents and Sent to Chicago
Confidential records reveal details about struggles to find parents and traumatic experiences during the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance crackdown.
Mientras pasan los meses en albergues de Chicago, menores migrantes contemplan fugarse y hasta suicidarse
Documentos internos revelan la desesperación y el tedio en una de las más grandes redes de refugios para menores en la nación.
Did Three Immigrant Teens Run Away From a Chicago Shelter Last Month?
Yes, but you wouldn’t know it if we relied solely on the agency paid to protect thousands of unaccompanied immigrant children in Illinois.
As Months Pass in Chicago Shelters, Immigrant Children Contemplate Escape, Even Suicide
Internal documents reveal despair and tedium in one of the nation’s largest shelter networks for unaccompanied minors.
There Was a Plan to Save This City From Flooding. But When the Rains Came, So Did Hesitance.
The Army Corps of Engineers’ delay in activating a floodway — land designated to take on water — cost millions of dollars in damage to Cairo, Illinois, and surrounding communities in 2011.
How the Army Corps’ Hesitation Nearly Destroyed a City
When the worst flood in nearly a century hit Cairo, Illinois, in 2011, the Army Corps waited before following an emergency plan designed to save a city of 2,800 people. See how that week unfolded and the delays and indecision that cost millions in avoidable damage.
Why Trump Should Have Read “Ask ProPublica Illinois” Before He Tweeted
In fact, Mr. President, there are real people behind those unnamed sources, and reporters at reputable news outlets work hard to verify the information they provide.
How Do We Verify Anonymous Sources?
Very, very carefully, and only after making sure they merit anonymity.
Looking at the Archives From the Time of the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago and Seeing Familiar Themes
Protesters villainized. Journalists blamed. Politicians exploiting public anxieties.
