Illinois Public Media

Community

An image of a brown street sign includes the text

Champaign’s Honorary Streets: the Stories Behind the Signs

Across Champaign, dozens of streets are named in honor of people and organizations that have made a significant cultural, historical, or humanitarian impact on the city. Illinois Student Newsroom reporters have produced an all-new series of stories spotlighting some of these local legacies. 

Latest News

IPM Newsroom

Kindred the Family Soul announcement

Announcing the performance by Kindred the Family Soul for Illinois Soul's third anniversary celebration

WILL FM

Prairie Performances
Sonny rollins playing soprano saxophone.

Remembering Sonny Rollins

Saying goodbye to one of the art form's great innovators. 
Dialogue
man speaking and Obama Presidential Center

Get a sneak peak of the new Obama Presidential Center, then listen his 2004 interview with WILL-radio

IPM's Reginald Hardwick leads you on a tour of the grounds of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Then we listen to then-State Sen. Obama on WILL-AM.

WILL AM

The 21st Show

Illinois General Assembly: Top Republicans talk taxes, effects of federal policies on state government

Top leaders representing the Republican side of the Illinois House and Senate share their thoughts and criticisms on this year's budget.
The 21st Show

Illinois General Assembly: Top Democrats talk taxes, education and tech

The Democrats who preside over the Illinois House and Senate share their thoughts on this year's $56 billion state budget.
The 21st Show
The top of the 8-story Obama Presidential Museum includes a quote from President Barack Obama during his visit to Selma, Alabama.

A sneak peek of the Obama Presidential Center

In just a few weeks, the Barack Obama Presidential Center will be opening in Chicago. We’ll talk about what’s inside with a journalist who got to tour the museum last month.

WILL TV

Prairie Fire

Prairie Fire: Season 3 - Episode 7 - May 2026

For this month's Prairie Fire, students from the University of Illinois’ College of Media spent a semester producing five short documentaries highlighting food, skating,…
News Local/State
man sitting at computer

Behind The Mic:  Newsroom editor Arjun Thakkar thinks public media is integral in combatting information overload

At Illinois Public Media, Arjun Thakkar helps reporters with story pitches, sources, and final editing, and sometimes reports stories himself.
State of Change

Small gestures to make a big difference in preserving our planet

We visit a zero-waste general store, a garden bringing a community together in a Chicago food desert, a program protecting pollinators, and advice to increase sustainability…