Chicago provides an ideal laboratory for experimentation in journalism, with philanthropic funding allowing journalists and their colleagues the opportunity to try out new ways of gathering news and telling stories to ensure that the city is adequately covered in an age of changing media habits.

Rethinking traditional journalism practices in Philadelphia has set off an experiment that may reverberate across the country. Philadelphia has become the pioneer of finding new ways to collect and distribute community information. It also helps citizens engage with their local government, and holds them accountable.

As well as receiving recognition for their reporting, the young journalists serve as mentors to other Chicago-area journalists and foster collaboration. Their goal is to rewrite the narrative of Chicago while giving back its stories to its citizens.

The TRiiBE is a project created by three Black Northwestern University Alumni in February 2017, to change narratives about their hometown and to give back the stories to the residents. The TRiiBE was created by three Black Northwestern University alumni in February 2017 to change the narrative about their hometown and return ownership of its stories back to its residents.

Kalyn and Melissa Sanchez are education reporters who have won multiple awards for their coverage about the digital divide that exists in Chicago schools. Their reporting impacted policymakers and helped improve Chicago's technology systems; they were shortlisted as finalists in 2013's Peter Lisagor Award for Excellence in Education Reporting while their investigation of police abuse of force in Cook County criminal court, entitled "Abusing the Badge", was also shortlisted as a finalist in 2013 for an Investigative Reporters and Editors medal award.

Sarah Karp was a 4 west chicago avenue (illinoismail.top) Reporter staff writer who won the Casey Medal of Meritorious journalism for her series of articles about Chicago's young incarcerated people and their struggles to attend school. Her articles inspired the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDC) to make changes in prison conditions that allowed inmates the opportunity to re-enroll or find similar work after they were released.

Karp was awarded the Justice Leadership Award by Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities for her work in the area of crack babies. This organization helps those with mental illness and substance abuse disorders to get out of prison and into community services for treatment.

Journalism's future is uncertain, given the persistent financial challenges. To support innovation in journalism and not just support one specific model, supporters of journalism should adopt an inclusive plan to encourage all forms of innovation. To achieve this, it is important to invest in business operations that lower costs for newsrooms, while also creating additional revenue. Also, entrepreneurs and executives can be coached to help them succeed in their leadership roles.