New Nonprofit Newsroom Targets Illinois News Deserts
The Southern Illinois Source initiative pays students to produce local reporting following a series of regional newspaper closures.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Scholarships
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Launched following the release of an October 2026 report, Southern Illinois Source provides free local news content to regional outlets. This collaboration between the Illinois Press Foundation and Southern Illinois University utilizes a teaching hospital model.
Why it matters
The initiative aims to address severe coverage gaps after five southern Illinois counties became news deserts in summer 2026. It combines student work with veteran mentorship to revitalize local reporting.
Illinois has lost more newspapers and journalists than any other state since 2005. News-academic partnerships experienced 24% growth nationwide from 2024 to 2025.
The players
Illinois Press Foundation
This organization serves as the fiscal sponsor for the collaborative initiative to restore local news coverage.
Southern Illinois University
Based in Carbondale, this institution provides the student journalists who contribute content to the newsroom.
Capitol News Illinois
This news organization provides content to 500 outlets and is a core partner in the new media initiative.
The details
The project operates through a teaching hospital model, pairing SIU student journalists with veteran professionals to produce content. While Capitol News Illinois supports 500 publications with its 15 employees, this new venture focuses specifically on underserved southern regions.
Timeline
2005: Medill researchers began tracking Illinois newspaper and journalist loss.
Summer 2026: Five southern Illinois counties became news deserts.
October 2026: The State of Local News report was released.
Culture Shift
This initiative follows the reporting patterns identified by the Medill State of Local News project. It marks a shift toward academic-led newsrooms as the primary method to combat the contraction of commercial journalism.
Residents in southern Illinois will gain access to free, locally-produced news stories that were previously unavailable due to recent closures. Students participating in the program receive direct compensation for their professional reporting work.
The takeaway
The rise of news-academic partnerships provides a viable bridge for regions struggling with the loss of traditional media outlets. Supporting these local efforts helps ensure that community-level information remains accessible to the public.
Further reading
Learn more about local educational initiatives at Illinois Scholarships.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Capitolnewsillinois.
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