I started working at the Reader on November 4, 2019, the day after my 22nd birthday, which was also the day my now wife and I moved into our first apartment together. We were brand-new to Chicago, and I had just been hired as an administrative assistant at a newspaper I’d never heard of.

What a privilege it was, to meet the Reader while on its staff. 

What a privilege it was, to have this decades-old, important, alternative, progressive, queer, funky, free newspaper introduce me to the city of Chicago.

Five and a half years later, I’m now a culture editor at the Reader, and although I’ve loved my work, made lifelong friends, and seen a lot of positive change here, it hasn’t been an easy road. 

This isn’t our first “Save the Reader” campaign since I started—I don’t think it’s our second, or even third. There have been many internal and outward trials; it was a fight to weather the pandemic, to gain independence, to become a nonprofit. But at each turn, our staff, our union, and our supporters have come through.

Hearing the recent news that the Reader is at imminent risk of closure, I feel a lot of feelings. I’m confused, like many others. I’m conflicted about asking for money, again.

But it’s just too easy to see the value of the Reader. 

For me, it’s my whole career. Despite the ups and downs, I want to save it. I volunteered for a temporary pay cut alongside many of my colleagues to avoid more layoffs. 

For many others, it’s their tether to Chicago, the place they met their spouse, the way they found community, and so much more. It’s integral to Chicago, and on a grander scale, its importance in the media landscape at this moment in history cannot be understated.

So, please—throw a dollar our way if you support Chicago, independent news, print media, labor unions, democracy, queer journalists and journalists of color, trans rights, art galleries, restaurants and food pop-ups, indie cinemas, overlooked musicians, local authors, podcasts, theater and dance, sex, fashion, accountability for city officials, voices for our unhoused neighbors, free papers accessible to all Chicagoans, or freaky stories that could simply only find their home at the Reader.

We need your help today

After more than 50 years of serving Chicago, the Reader faces imminent closure. 

Can you imagine Chicago without the Chicago Reader? We can’t either. But a perfect storm of sudden economic downturns has put us in a precarious position, without much time to spare.

We’re not giving up though. We have a clear path forward, but only if we can raise enough from enough supporters to make it through this crisis. 

If you value the Reader, and want to see it survive, please chip in now with a tax-deductible donation. 

Questions about giving? Email development@chicagoreader.com or at:

Reader Institute for Community Journalism, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102 Chicago, IL 60616

The Reader Institute for Community Journalism is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 84-3670420). Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.