Two Chicago comedians, Nick Hausman and EJ Cameron, have launched a new media company called Guerrilla Press with the aim of amplifying young progressive voices in the city. The initiative began last month with a weekly live podcast recorded at The Annoyance Theatre in Lakeview.
Each Sunday, Hausman and Cameron host interviews with young progressive political candidates in front of a live audience. Their first show featured Kat Abughazaleh, who is running for Illinois’ 9th congressional district. According to Hausman, “It really seemed to have resonated. After Kat’s appearance did so well, we have just been inundated with political candidates wanting to talk to us.” That initial event sold out and clips from the recording attracted over 100,000 views on Instagram.
Other guests on the podcast have included Alderman Bennett Lawson (44th) and Jazmin Robinson, a candidate for Illinois’ 7th congressional district. Over the next month, Guerrilla Press will continue its final run of recordings at The Annoyance Theatre, featuring young progressives endorsed by Run for Something—a political organization that supports emerging leaders.
This Sunday’s episode will include interviews with Sangamon County Board candidate Miguel Valente and 40th District State Representative candidate Miguel Alvelo Rivera. The series runs each Sunday through March 15.
Hausman said, “If we help to sway the midterms here in a couple months and get some more people to the polls … then I think we will have done our job. We’re just looking forward to whatever that kind of path and journey ahead looks like for us.”
After March 15, Guerrilla Press plans to move operations to a studio in Uptown where they hope to expand content production throughout the week. Planned offerings include sketches, comedic segments, and sit-down interviews.
Hausman described their approach as being inspired by Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show,” aiming to engage Chicagoans on political and social issues while collaborating with groups such as Indivisible chapters and Run for Something.
The podcasts often discuss topics such as how Chicago can respond to federal policies from the Trump administration or Department of Homeland Security, along with issues important on the left like affordability and healthcare. “We wanted to create something that was fun and engaging, that got people to think, got people to laugh and presented Chicago in a really positive light,” Hausman said. “It’s a lot about what we can do right now during a very turbulent time … to push back.”
Hausman brings experience from pro wrestling journalism while Cameron has been involved with The Second City comedy troupe for several years. They met over ten years ago working at the Jewish Community Center of Chicago.
“When Trump got elected, we were just sitting around trying to find a way that we could use our skills to help fight back,” Hausman said. “We love Chicago. It breaks our hearts to see Chicago get treated the way it has under this administration, and definitely hurts us for people to think that Chicago is this dangerous, scary place.”
“We want this to be something that helps inspire and bring the Chicago community together, so we hope they check it out … We want everybody to feel like there’s somebody here listening to them and fighting for them,” he added.
Guerrilla Press maintains an online presence where supporters can sign up for its newsletter or follow updates on Instagram.
