Chicago Public Media’s goal in the Local News Accelerator was to develop new ways to connect with younger audiences, particularly those aged 16 to 24. The team from WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times built an approach rooted in community listening and research. Introducing new engagement strategies helped build trust with this key demographic and strengthened CPM’s relationship with its community. As a result, Chicago Public Media meaningfully grew its audience in this age range.
increase in loyal readers aged 18-24 in Illinois
growth in social media audience (18-24)
subscribers gained through a text messaging pilot
During the Accelerator, CPM learned about the media consumption habits of young Chicagoans through research, including interviews, surveys, and social listening. Supported by the results of said research, CPM then built plans to focus on social-first vertical video and text messaging as key engagement strategies.
The results were immediate and impactful: the pilot text messaging program gained 2,000 new subscribers, and social engagement among younger audiences increased significantly, including a 45% growth in loyal readers aged 18-24. The team’s success was also driven by its ability to align its strategies with the real-time needs of young Chicagoans, using events like the Democratic National Convention as an opportunity to boost engagement with relevant content.
The Medill Accelerator project for Chicago Public Media enabled the two newsrooms to focus on reaching new, younger audiences through techniques that can be expanded for different audience groups and platforms.
Gilbert Bailon, Executive Editor of WBEZ
By integrating these new strategies into its core operations, CPM has positioned itself to continue building relationships with younger audiences, an important step in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the organization and its mission to serve all of Chicago.