Chicago Contrarian reported on May 1 that DePaul University is partnering with former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to launch the Institute for Journalism and Racial Justice. The announcement was made following coverage of the institute’s unveiling at a Loop campus event on February 25, which also included a community briefing on Lightfoot’s ICE accountability project. The new initiative will be housed in DePaul’s College of Communication, according to an X post by Chicago Contrarian.
The partnership comes as DePaul University faces ongoing enrollment challenges, particularly among international students. The university has reported a decline of 755 international students compared to the previous year, including a sharp drop in new graduate international enrollment. These trends have prompted budget planning adjustments at the private Catholic institution serving the Chicago area, according to DePaul University.
Public trust in mass media remains low, with only 28 percent of Americans expressing a great deal or fair amount of trust in news reporting. This environment has led to increased scrutiny of journalism education programs and their approaches to objectivity and narrative framing, as reported by Gallup polling.
Chicago Contrarian was founded in August 2019 to provide insight and analysis on issues affecting the City of Chicago. The platform focuses on law and order, crime, politics, media and social issues while challenging prevailing narratives in local affairs. It offers commentary from multiple contributors examining city policies and developments, according to Chicago Contrarian.
