Journalists Jake Wittich, a 2017 graduate of Columbia College Chicago and managing editor of “Windy City Times,” and Anna DeShawn, founder of E3 Radio, are leading a six-week seminar on community journalism at Columbia College Chicago. The program, titled “Our Stories, Our Power,” is designed to give participants practical experience in community-focused reporting. At the end of the seminar, each participant will publish a piece in “Windy City Times.”
“Community journalism builds one of the closest relationships a reporter can have with an audience,” said Jake Wittich. “You’re there consistently — through celebrations, crises, and everything in between—making sure the complete story of a community’s experience is told.”
Wittich co-leads the program with DeShawn, who also writes for “Windy City Times’” BLACKlines newsletter. Wittich explained their broader vision: “Anna DeShawn and I are training emerging community journalists, but the goal is bigger than the people in the room. We hope they carry these tools back to their neighborhoods, workplaces, friends and networks, creating a ripple effect of stronger, more responsive storytelling across Chicago.”
This marks the second year for “Our Stories, Our Power.” The initiative is supported by a grant from Press Forward National—a collaborative funder led by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation—and Columbia College Chicago.
The current cohort includes six participants such as Patience Hurston, former Editor-in-Chief of “The Columbia Chronicle” and now pursuing a master’s degree in Media for Social Impact at Columbia. Hurston shared their motivation: “I was attracted to this program because I had been dying to write for ‘The Windy City Times.’ Jake Wittich and I both served as editors for ‘The Columbia Chronicle,’ and I admired his trajectory in the space a lot. We’re both queer and as Chicago Chapter president of NLGJA: The National Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, I just was really inspired by the work he had been doing, so I jumped at the chance to work with and learn from him.”
Columbia College Chicago offers undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Communication as well as graduate programs like Media for Social Impact. This academic background makes it a natural partner for efforts like this seminar.
“Columbia College Chicago laid the foundation for my journalism career. It pushed me to grow by giving me real-world reporting experience through coursework and my time at ‘The Columbia Chronicle,’ while also surrounding me with working journalists — professors and guest speakers — who helped me understand what the industry actually demands,” Wittich said. “Partnering with Columbia felt natural, and it’s a full-circle moment to bring the next generation of reporters into the same kind of environment that shaped me.”
Guest speakers from local media outlets will share insights during sessions; these include Matt Simonette (publisher of Windy City Times), Mauricio Peña (Borderless Magazine), Jake Cox (Block Club Chicago), and Tiffany Walden (co-founder of The Tribe).
Participants receive hands-on instruction throughout all stages of newswriting—from pitching stories to publishing—with an emphasis on coverage for underserved communities. Each member receives a $400 stipend upon completion. On the final day, students will produce a podcast about their stories using one of Columbia’s recording studios.
Hurston reflected on their experience so far: “I got into journalism to tell the stories of people like myself who felt silenced by legacy media in the city and I want my career to be more about the people whose hearts I’ve touched than the awards I’ve won. After our first session, I’m already sure the cohort is helping me with that.”
