Chicago Journalists Association honors Chicago journalists — and recognizes Chicago Health storytelling
Chicago’s journalism community gathered this past Friday to celebrate the work of reporters, editors, photographers, and producers across the region, as the Chicago Journalists Association (CJA) announced its 2025 award winners and finalists. The evening showcased the vitality of local news at a moment when the industry faces deep financial and structural pressures.
CJA honored longtime CBS News Chicago anchor Jim Williams with the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award and recognized Jake Wittich, managing editor of the Windy City Times, as the 2025 Chicago Journalist of the Year.
In addition to those top honors, CJA named Brandis Friedman of WTTW the recipient of the Dorothy Storck Award, recognized for her commentary and opinion writing.
CJA also announced the winners of the Sarah Brown Boyden Awards, which span 19 categories from arts and investigations to public service and technology.
The ceremony, held at the Newberry Library, featured Press Forward Chicago Director Tracy Baim as keynote speaker and WGN-TV’s Mike Lowe, the 2024 Journalist of the Year, as master of ceremonies.
A call for investment in community journalism
In her keynote address, Baim reflected on more than four decades in media and the challenges small outlets continue to face.
The most under-resourced segment of media — which also receives the least amount of philanthropy funding — is local LGBTQ outlets, Baim said during her Q&A-style speech with this year’s Journalist of the Year, Wittich.
Baim noted how the landscape has shifted since the early days of the Windy City Times, when LGBTQ communities relied almost entirely on community media for accurate coverage.
“We were it,” she said. “We were covering AIDS and HIV when mainstream outlets were still vilifying the gay community. Today, the community is stronger, with more allies and more support systems than we ever had.”
Still, she emphasized that innovation and investment are essential as newsrooms shrink and misinformation rises.
“Chicago is an oasis compared to the desert facing many parts of the country,” Baim said. “People are looking to this city for ways to adapt. Block Club Chicago is one of the best models in the country for what the next generation of journalism can be. My goal is to find as much money as possible to keep this work going.”
