Illinois Newsrooms: Mark Your Calendars for Financial Support

The application for the 2026 cycle of the Local Journalism Sustainability Tax Incentive Program opens February 1. The program provides financial support to help local newsrooms hire and retain journalists. You can access the application here. If you have questions about eligibility, the application process or how the credit works, contact our policy director at mattpearce@rebuildlocalnews.org. In early January, we will post additional resources for news outlets who are interested in applying.

For additional context, Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism recently hosted a webinar reviewing how the program’s first year went and what newsrooms can expect in the year ahead.