Chicago Public Media is betting that Chicagoans want something the dominant social platforms have struggled to provide: a trustworthy place to find out what is happening nearby, connect with neighbors and then get off their phones. This fall, the nonprofit parent of WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times plans to launch chicago.com, a new digital platform combining local information, community conversations and civic resources. The organization says the site will complement rather than replace its existing news brands.
“More people, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, find local information through search, social media and online communities than by going directly to news organizations,” Chicago Public Media CEO Melissa Bell said.
The information gap is measurable. A July Civic Information Needs Census survey of 1,010 Chicago adults found 37% said neighborhood news and information was difficult to find, compared with 27% who said the same about national news.
At launch, chicago.com will include digital spaces in five pilot communities powered by Roundabout, a community app incubated by nonprofit technology organization New_ Public. Residents will be able to exchange recommendations, ask questions and discover local organizations and events.
The concept has been shaped partly through focus groups, listening sessions and surveys. Bell said residents want help finding everything from street festivals and volunteer opportunities to “the best place for quesabirria.” They also want opportunities to meet neighbors who aren’t exclusively centered around “kids, pets or disasters.”
The platform begins with an unusually valuable piece of digital real estate. The Chicago Community Trust previously owned the chicago.com domain and gifted it to Chicago Public Media. The Trust had received offers over the years to sell the domain commercially but maintained that it should serve a public purpose, a spokesperson said.
“Chicago.com holds symbolic power for this city, and we’re excited to see that power put to work for the public,” the spokesperson said.
How Chicago Public Media will make that public purpose financially sustainable remains an experiment. The organization declined to disclose development costs, projected operating budgets or financial benchmarks. Bell said the long-term model is expected to combine membership, philanthropy and sponsorship. Chicago Public Media does not plan to hire new editorial staff specifically for chicago.com, instead drawing on existing employees.
Andres Lombana, Chicago Public Media’s senior vice president of sales and sponsorship, said the organization doesn’t envision simply filling chicago.com with conventional digital advertising. “Revenue follows the audience, and engagement and trust matter far more than traditional impressions alone,” Lombana said.
The organization is exploring sponsorships and other opportunities connecting businesses with communities through useful content and local experiences. Lombana said the goal is to move “beyond banners and traditional ad units” toward commercial relationships that add value to how Chicagoans use the platform.
Chicago Public Media will launch chicago.com as a minimum viable product and adapt it based on how communities use it. Within a year, Bell hopes Roundabout-powered communities will expand into additional areas. Five years from now, the ambition is larger. “We will be successful if chicago.com is seen as more than just a platform,” Bell said, “and becomes a critical piece of civic infrastructure.”
Taayoo Murray is a New York City-based journalist who covers health, wellness and parenting. She is the founder of The Care Capitalist, which convenes off-the-record rooms to think through healthcare’s hardest questions. She welcomes emails at taayoo_murray@yahoo.com.
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