Block Club Chicago - American Journalism Project

Block Club Chicago is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant, and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods.

Block Club believes all neighborhoods deserve to be covered in a meaningful way, by amplifying positive stories, showing up to development and local school council meetings and serving as watchdogs in neighborhoods that are often ignored by traditional news media.

Block Club’s reporters don’t parachute in once to cover a story. They are in the neighborhoods they cover every day building relationships over time with neighbors. They believe this ground level approach not only builds community but leads to a more accurate portrayal of a neighborhood.

Not only do Block Club reporters cover their neighborhoods, they’re actually part of them. Most of their reporters live in the neighborhoods they cover and make themselves accessible and accountable to the community they serve.

Some have internalized the national media’s narrative of a broken Chicago. Block Club aims to change that by celebrating its neighborhoods, their resilience and highlighting the people who fight every day to make the city a better place for all.

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Local news isn’t dying, it’s evolving. The support from Chicagoans for our ultra-local newsroom has been overwhelming, proving that newsrooms don’t need to abandon the boots-on-the-ground basics — they just need to be responsive to the communities they cover.”

Jen Sabella, Co-Founder and Executive Editor

Leaders

Shamus Toomey

Co-Founder and Publisher

Shamus is the publisher of Block Club Chicago. He formerly served as Managing Editor of DNAinfo Chicago and Metro Editor at the Chicago Sun-Times. He worked as a reporter at the Sun-Times, the Daily Herald and the City News Bureau of Chicago.
Jen Sabella

Co-Founder and Executive Editor

Jen is the Executive Editor of Block Club Chicago. Jen was Deputy Editor and Director of Social Media at DNAinfo Chicago, HuffPost’s Chicago Editor and a breaking news reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times.
Stephanie Lulay

Co-Founder and Executive Editor

Stephanie is the Executive Editor of Block Club Chicago. She previously served as Senior Editor and reporter at DNAinfo Chicago and as a reporter at the Aurora Beacon-News, where she covered City Hall, education, housing and environmental issues.