Dear CJA members,

We recognize the United States is in a moment of great tension, and it’s journalists who are on the frontlines to capture how communities and leaders are responding to chaos and violence. 

For 87 years, the Chicago Journalists Association has been a community for journalists to come together for support and camaraderie. In fact, the organization came to be through a group of journalists who covered the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.

As we take on the leadership of this organization, our focus is:

1. Continuing to build that sense of community that we need so much during this difficult time.
2. Offering a mix of virtual and in-person events that provide professional development and enrichment.
3. Organizing opportunities to network and build relationships.
4. Creating a way to give back to our community, especially for early-career journalists and students.
5. Celebrating the incredible work and the people creating it during our annual awards event. 

To get started, we invite you to attend our first event of the year, A Tale of Two Journalists, an educational event with journalist and documentarian Vanessa Johnston discussing her new film, “Eyes of Evil: The Story of Sigrid Schultz,” about the Chicago Tribune correspondent who was one of the first American journalists to tell the world of the horrors of the Nazi regime. 

This will be an opportunity to hear about documentary filmmaking and learn about an inspiring journalist who stood up to dictatorial power. 
 
We recognize we have big shoes to fill in succeeding past presidents, including Stephanie Choporis and Maudlyne Ihejirika, to whom we owe a debt of gratitude for turning CJA into the organization it is today. 

But, we look forward to the challenge and getting to know more members of the Chicago journalism community and how we can best support you. 

Thank you for being a CJA member. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with questions or ideas at president@chicagojournalists.net. 

We are energized and grateful for this opportunity. 

Jean Hodges & Alexandria Jacobson
Co-Presidents, Chicago Journalists Association