Click Here for details.
Save Save Save Save
WILL BRUMLEVE: FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESK
By WILL BRUMLEVE
will@fordcountychronicle.com
When I recently received a phone call from Kendall Kartaly, program manager for WorldChicago, asking if I'd be interested in speaking with an international delegation of journalism and media professionals from India about what it's like to run a weekly newspaper in a small town in America, I was excited to share everything I'd learned over the past four years since starting the Ford County Chronicle with my colleague Andrew Rosten.
WorldChicago was hosting the group through the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program, and their visit to the U.S. involved meeting with their professional counterparts here.
Apparently, the Chronicle came recommended from someone ... who I wish I could thank.
It was a really cool experience. I even invited the mayor of Paxton, Bill Ingold, to welcome the group upon their 1 p.m. arrival at the Chronicle office on Wednesday, Nov. 20, and he obliged, spending a productive 20 minutes chatting about the real value of local community journalism and his enduring gig as the mayor of a blossoming rural community.
Prior to their arrival, WorldChicago's Kartaly said the group would be particularly interested in hearing of the "challenges of dis/ misinformation in rural contexts, where resources may be limited, and how local media can serve as a critical defense against spreading false information."
After we sat down together in the big dining room in the Commandery Building in downtown Paxton - just across the hall from my newspaper's office - the group had many more questions than just that one, though. Over the course of more than an hour, I spoke about a variety of topics, ranging from how our paper got started to where we are today, to what would happen if we were not here.
Answering their primary question - about the challenges of keeping the community informed of the truth in an age when rumors spread like wildfire on social media - required such context.
To answer their question, I had to think about it for a while. The first thing that came to my mind was that the challenges of misinformation - false rumors, for example - are faced everywhere, regardless of a community's size or the population of a newspaper's coverage area. Yes, resources are especially limited in rural areas - and my newspaper has far fewer staff than, for example, the larger daily paper in a larger community just down the road - but all newspapers, large and small, seem to be short on staff, some far too short. And we all have news to cover - amid rumors to confirm or dispel - on a daily basis. So the challenges are much the same regardless of a rural context, in my opinion.
In all cases, the biggest challenge is keeping the community informed. That includes having the resources to cover meetings of the city council, school board, county board, village board and park board, for example, and to do so every month, or every week if that's how often they occur. It includes having enough resources to cover the community's sports - from park district to junior high and high school - in your coverage area. It includes having the resources to cover the community's events, its people, its happenings, all the time.
What goes into that challenge is a combination of loyalty to your community, lots of time and effort, and a never-ending dedication to get the job done to the best of your ability. Perhaps the most important thing, though, especially with tiny news organizations like ours, is the contributions of the community. After all, Andrew and I could never produce the publication we do on a weekly basis usually totaling 40 or more broadsheet pages - without a community that cares, providing not just news tips but sometimes already-prepared news stories, ready for publication, along with photos.
I tried my best to stress to the international delegation the important role that the community plays in the success of any community newspaper, because it really is the key. Where resources may be limited, the community must fill the void. I believe that a community that cares about its news and not just rumors - will support its newspaper if it is doing its job.
By covering the local news - and I mean actually covering it, unlike so many of these corporate-owned "ghost" papers out there these days - newspapers serve as not just a "critical defense" - but the most important critical defense against the spread of false information. Here anyway, there is no one else covering the local news like we do. The community recognizes that.
The challenge is always going to be there, of course.
Hopefully, the Chronicle will be, too.
Will Brumleve is co-publisher and news editor of the Ford County Chronicle, based in Paxton, Illinois.
Member Log-In + Contact Us + Events + PressLines + Job Bank + Advertising Toolbox + Upload Pages
+Regular Member Newspapers
Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: Powered by FeedBurner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 8, 2025 Contact Information: Christopher Weishaar Digital Public Relations Specialist cweishaar@studentloan.org (515) 273-7140
Six $1,500 scholarships now open to Midwest high school seniors High school seniors from six Midwest states have a chance to earn the scholarships
WEST DES MOINES, IOWA — High school seniors from Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin now have a chance to receive one of six college scholarships worth $1,500. Registration is open now through April 30, 2025. Parents are also able to register their student. High school seniors or their parents may register for the ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Midwest. ISL Education Lending will award $1,500 scholarships to six students whose names are randomly drawn after the registration period. There are no financial need, grade point average or class rank requirements. The ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship can be used at any eligible institution in the United States. Registered participants also receive emails highlighting financial literacy tips, such as the importance of early career and college planning and ways to reduce student loan indebtedness. “Student loan debt is a huge concern for new college students,” said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of ISL Education Lending. “As a nonprofit, we provide tools and resources to help high school seniors plan so they can reduce the amount of debt they need to take on while achieving their education goals. Students sign up for a chance at a $1,500 scholarship, and we take that opportunity to share information with them about our free resources.” The ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship is open to legal U.S. citizens who are seniors at a high school in one of the qualifying states during the 2025-2026 school year and who intend to attend college, either virtually or physically, in fall 2025. It is a no-purchase-required program, and full rules and details are available at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Midwest. Additional Resources Available In addition to offering student loans, ISL Education Lending has other resources for families planning for college and for students who intend to pursue advanced degrees. The Parent Handbook consists of valuable tips to help families of students in sixth through 12th grades prepare for success in college and other postsecondary options. Parents of students in eighth through 12th grades can also sign up to receive twice-monthly emailed tips on academic, college and career planning through the Student Planning Pointers for Parents program. The College Funding Forecaster helps families understand the total cost of four years of college based on a freshman-year financial aid offer. Information about these resources is available at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/SmartBorrowing.
# # #
About ISL Education Lending Established in 1979 as Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation, a private, nonprofit organization, ISL Education Lending helps students and families obtain the resources necessary to succeed in postsecondary education. ISL has helped nearly 400,000 students pay for college, offering student loans and other products under the name ISL Education Lending. The organization, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, also provides an array of borrower benefits, financial literacy tools and community reinvestment programs, including support for free college planning services for students and their families. For more information, visit www.IowaStudentLoan.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 7, 2025 Contact Information: Illinois State Medical Society Jann Ingmire janningmire@isms.org (312) 520-9802
Illinois State Medical Society offers free programs for health professionals to address human trafficking awareness
As January marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, the Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) is offering a free, two-part webinar series aimed at equipping physicians and other health care professionals with the tools to identify and support those individuals exploited by human trafficking. The series, which is available on demand, is designed to challenge stereotypes, clarify the various factors contributing to trafficking, and provide practical approaches for assisting survivors of both sex and labor trafficking. Health care professionals are uniquely positioned to identify and assist trafficking victims due to their frontline access and trusted roles within the community. By offering these programs, ISMS aims to raise awareness and offer resources to professionals who may come across survivors in their care. January 11 is recognized as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and the month as a whole is dedicated to increasing awareness of trafficking, which affects millions globally. According to a 2017 survey of 127 human trafficking survivors, 69% reported having accessed health care services at some point during their exploitation. Of those, 85% sought treatment for injuries or illnesses related to their trafficking. Despite this, only 6% of health care workers reported having treated someone who was a victim of trafficking. The two no-cost, on-demand programs, available 24/7, offer continuing medical education (CME) credits and are designed to help health care professionals recognize signs of trafficking, improve their response, and ensure proper support for survivors. Human Trafficking: Identification and Response in a Healthcare Setting Presented by Anna Pastor, coordinator, Cook Co. Human Trafficking Task Force Human Trafficking: Practical Approaches and Resources in a Healthcare Setting Presented by Traci Kurtzer, M.D., medical director for trauma informed care and education, Northwestern Medicine The programs are free to all health care professionals and the public.
###
Click Image to Find the IPA Disaster Checklist!