Jackie Spinner

Chicago

Faculty Advisor at The Columbia Chronicle

Jackie Spinner is journalism prof @ColumbiaChi, fac advisor to Columbia Chronicle, filmmaker and recovering war reporter. Views are her own.

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Articles

Deserted By Fact-Checking

Jan 22, 2025 | localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu | Mark Caro |Jackie Spinner

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Facebook is eliminating fact-checking may amount to a double whammy for people living in this country’s ever-expanding news deserts. Having lost their primary local news sources, these communities often turn to social media and other alternatives to try to stay informed. Now one of those key sources is removing safeguards against the spread of misinformation.
Sustainable Startups

Nov 21, 2024 | localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu | Jackie Spinner |Paul Farhi |Hannah Carroll |Mark Caro

Bob Gough has worked in local news nearly his entire life, and he knows this: Everybody wants to see their kid or grandkid in the paper. The trouble is that truly local news in his western Illinois town of Quincy is getting harder to find. Starting this year, radio listeners no longer can catch the Quincy Senior High School football games on Friday nights. The legacy newspaper, the Herald-Whig, has changed hands two times since 2021 after being family-owned for nearly 100 years.
Opinion: Election night in a Gen Z newsroom is a reminder of what is at stake

Nov 7, 2024 | gatewayjr.org | Jackie Spinner

The day before the Nov. 5 election, I carried a bundle of poles into the newsroom of the Columbia Chronicle in an attempt to recreate one of my core memories from The Washington Post, where I was a staff writer for 14 years. I made signs for the seven swing states we’d be watching on election night, and I placed them on the poles around the newsroom where the reporters could cluster as they watched the returns come in.
Opinion: Gen Z’s voice matters. Will they use it in the upcoming election?

Oct 31, 2024 | gatewayjr.org | Jackie Spinner

HomeNews and OpinionElection 2024Opinion: Gen Z’s voice matters. Will they use it in the upcoming election?
Opinion: Why I won’t cancel my subscription to The Washington Post

Oct 27, 2024 | gatewayjr.org | Jackie Spinner

By Jackie SpinnerEarlier this year, Will Lewis, the Washington Post’s new publisher and CEO, disclosed in a staff meeting that the Post had lost nearly half of its digital subscribers since the peak of 2020 when Donald Trump was still president and the COVID-19 pandemic was raging. The Post had already announced that it planned to reduce staff to offset deep losses in revenue.
Digital natives in student media reluctant to give up print even when their readers already have

May 9, 2024 | gatewayjr.org | Jackie Spinner

By Jackie SpinnerBefore most college students in 2024 were born, the Pew Research Center was already reporting that young readers had turned away from newspapers. Older readers had not fully embraced online news yet in 2002. Only a quarter of them went to the internet for their news and then only three times a week, which now seems absurdly disconnected. But young readers were getting hooked on digital news even back then.
News analysis: Chicago adjunct strike provides student journalists with an invaluable reporting lesson

Dec 20, 2023 | gatewayjr.org | Jackie Spinner

By Jackie SpinnerThe part-time faculty at Columbia College Chicago, where I teach journalism, was on strike for seven weeks, protesting cost-cutting decisions that will result in fewer teaching opportunities for instructors. It was the longest adjunct strike in US history before a tentative deal was reached on Dec. 18. The student newspaper, the Columbia Chronicle, has been thorough in its coverage of the strike, which started Oct. 30.
Legal rights of students with disabilities: What parents need to understand

Aug 14, 2023 | wbez.org | Jackie Spinner

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter. Navigating the school system with a child who has a disability can be daunting — even for parents who consider themselves seasoned veterans after years of pushing for accommodations and services. Federal law guarantees that all children in the U.S. receive a “free appropriate public education” under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Afternoon Edition: How bikeable is Chicago?

Aug 9, 2023 | chicago.suntimes.com | Matt Moore |Kaitlin Washburn |Jackie Spinner |Nereida Moreno

Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶How would you rate biking in Chicago? Ask any regular cyclist that and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a consensus. Answers usually fall somewhere between love and hate — you might love seeing this beautiful city while on wheels but worry about factors like aggressive drivers and inaccessible streets. Two recent studies tried to quantify the experience. Their conclusion? Chicago’s got some work to do to make roads more bike-friendly.
Tips for parents navigating Chicago Public Schools special education services

Jul 27, 2023 | chicago.suntimes.com | Jackie Spinner

Advice, resources, and reflections on back-to-school season for Chicago's students, families, and educators. Navigating the school system with a child who has a disability can be daunting — even for parents who consider themselves seasoned veterans after years of pushing for accommodations and services. Federal law guarantees that all children in the U.S. receive a “free appropriate public education” under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.