Chicago Public Media Launches Chicago.com Pilot in Five Local Communities
Chicago Public Media soft-launched chicago.com on Oct. 7, starting with Avondale, Bronzeville, Edgewater/Andersonville, South Shore and Evanston. The owner of the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ built the site for neighborhood information and discussion. CEO Melissa Bell said more communities could be added next spring or summer. Each community has an events calendar, resident-written guides to local places, a discussion forum and a weekly newsletter curated by a local steward. The site also collects headlines from the Sun-Times, WBEZ and other outlets. Paid local residents moderate the forums, and Chicago Public Media plans to hire a permanent general manager. More than 4,000 people joined waitlists before the launch; the nonprofit has not disclosed how many people now use the platform. Bell describes chicago.com as an alternative to commercial social networks, focused on healthier civic discussion. Edgewater/Andersonville steward Kathy Herwig said residents are trading recommendations for restaurants and tradespeople and asking about gardening and tenants’ issues. In South Shore, steward Rashanah Baldwin said users are sharing volunteer opportunities and neighborhood news. She noted that the site has no ads or algorithms. Chicago Public Media developed the pilot with tech nonprofit New_ Public after the Chicago Community Trust gave it the inactive chicago.com domain. The nonprofit has not disclosed its investment and is still fundraising. Baldwin hopes online connections will lead to face-to-face ones and plans meetings with neighborhood stakeholders at venues such as South Shore Public Library.
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