Chicago Media Desk started the way most good ideas do: two people complaining.
After working together for five years, through some truly wild times—we (Amber Nettles and Salem Collo-Julin) kept coming back to the same conversation: Why isn’t there one place where Chicago journalists, media workers, and all the folks adjacent to this ecosystem can find the stuff they actually need?
Jobs. Awards deadlines. Fellowships and trainings. Grants, events, conferences, calls for pitches . . . all the things you only hear about if are following the right accounts on LinkedIn or other social media, or if you subscribe to the right newsletters, or if you check the right websites obsessively.
Thus we're building the thing that we wish already existed.
Chicago Media Desk is a simple idea: a clean, useful, nonchaotic hub for the Chicago media community. We don't want it be be complicated; just a listings site and a newsletter.
We’re not trying to become a gossip mill or run hot takes about the industry. (We have done our time and don't think anyone really needs/wants our opinions at this point.)
We just hope to make life easier for the people who keep this city’s media running—editors, reporters, publishers, managers, sales reps, marketers, freelancers, producers, students, comms folks, everyone.
We’re big believers in local journalism and the people who make it happen. Between us, we’ve spent many years in reporting and editing, media sales, nonprofit and for-profit media, marketing, community reporting, and the joyful chaos that comes with it all. We know how hard it is to keep up with opportunities, deadlines, and resources when everyone is doing at least three jobs.
This is our small contribution to the ecosystem we love. We hope you find something that helps you get your next gig, publish your next story, attend your next event, or feel just a little more connected to the Chicago media world.
And if you ever think, “Wow, this would be even better if it included ___,” you know where to find us. Send us a tip (chicagomediadesk@gmail.com), subscribe, and donate if you want to help cover the software and hosting costs.
If you like us, tell your friends. If you hate us, tell your enemies.
—Amber & Salem
Chicago Media Desk