About Us

Capitol News Illinois is the largest state government-focused news organization in Illinois, with a presence spanning from Chicago to Carbondale. We provide year-round, daily coverage of the General Assembly, state agencies and officeholders, the Illinois Supreme Court and more. We produce award-winning in-depth investigations aimed at holding power to account.

The Illinois Press Foundation created the nonprofit news service in 2019 to provide coverage of state government to Illinois newspapers and to bolster the shrinking Statehouse press corps. We’ve since expanded, and our news coverage now appears daily on the websites and airwaves of broadcast outlets across Illinois.

Our investigative work has won several state and national awards. Our “Culture of Cruelty” series in conjunction with ProPublica won the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights award and the Katherine Schneider Journalism Award for Excellence in Reporting on Disability. Our investigation of funeral homes won the Peter Lisagor investigative reporting award for Best Public Service, and our coverage of hiring practices at the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office won the Driehaus Foundation Award for Investigative Reporting.

In keeping with our mission, our website, which launched in 2024 as a multimedia civic news hub, does not put our coverage behind a paywall.

Our main funders include the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, with significant gifts from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation, Illinois Press Association, Arnold Ventures, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, States Newsroom and others.

Equally important are our individual donors, whose generosity helps keep our news free. As Statehouse press resources shrink, CNI is reversing the trend by growing its newsroom and impact. Learn more about how you can help support our mission or visit our staff pages to meet our news team.

Capitol News Illinois

Statehouse Press Room 401 S. Second St. Office 013B Springfield, IL 62706
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