Mike Stephen explores the latest report on the state of local news with Medill School of Journalism professor and chair in local news Tim Franklin, gets the lowdown on new local music from saxophonist Harold Dawson, and learns about EveryVoice, an AI platform designed to fill gaps in mental health care for kids, from founder and CEO Malcolm Brown. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Mike Stephen discusses the state of local news in 2025 with Medill professor Tim Franklin and then dives into the Secret History of the 1970s Chicago horn rock band Aura. AND…come out to Fitzgerald’s at 6615 W. Roosevelt Rd. in Berwyn on Saturday, November 22, at 3:00 p.m. for the Outside the Loop 1,000th episode taping! It’s a FREE event, but you need to RSVP using this link. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Mike Stephen discusses the results of a new report on how Chicago gets its news with Medill professors Tim Franklin and Stephanie Edgerly, gets a preview of some upcoming local events about the brain from Illinois Science Council founder Monica Metzler, and discovers the Secret History of Lani Hall. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

We explore the state of local journalism this week. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen explores a new report on the state of local journalism with Tim Franklin, director of the Medill Local News Initiative, and discusses the impact of predatory lending in Illinois with Jane Doyle, senior regulatory policy associate at the Woodstock Institute.  To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.