Chicago Media Career Fair 2026

A day designed to help journalists strengthen their job search, make new connections, and explore opportunities across the media industry.
About this Event

Join the Chicago Headline Club for the 2026 Chicago Media Career Fair — a day of practical career development, professional connections and new possibilities for journalists.

Whether you’re pursuing your next role, building a freelance career or exploring a new direction, the fair will help you strengthen your job-search materials, connect with newsrooms and media organizations, and see where your journalism skills can take you next.

You’ll be able to:

• Connect with participating newsrooms and media organizations
• Strengthen your resume, cover letter and LinkedIn in a hands-on workshop
• Get a one-on-one resume or cover-letter review
• Practice your interview skills with experienced media professionals
• Explore career paths inside and beyond newsrooms
• Get a professional headshot

Please RSVP in advance and bring a valid ID for building check-in: Chicago Media Career Fair 2026

Participating organizations

• Becker’s Healthcare
• Chicago News Weekly
• Chicago Reader
• Investigative Project on Race and Equity, participating from 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
• NewsNation
• WGN Radio
• Windy City Times

Additional organizations will be announced as they are confirmed.

Plan your visit

The 10:30–11:30 a.m. resume, cover letter and LinkedIn workshop is limited to 25 participants and requires a separate RSVP. Please reserve a workshop seat if you’d like to participate.

One-on-one resume and cover-letter reviews, mock interviews and headshots will be available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you plan to participate in a resume review or mock interview, please bring:

• Three printed copies of your resume and three printed copies of a cover letter you want reviewed (you can have both, one or the other reviewed)
• Three printed copies of a job description for a role you are applying to or considering

No printing will be available at the event, so plan ahead. Free printing is available at any Chicago Public Library. Nearby paid options include FedEx at 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza and UPS at 27 N. Wacker Drive.

This event is made possible by Press Forward Chicago and the Field Foundation.

Schedule

10 a.m. | Check-in begins

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. | Workshop Your Resume, Cover Letter, and LinkedIn

Separate workshop RSVP required | Limited to 25 participants

• Casey Mendoza, president of AAJA Chicago, lead organizer of the Video Consortium Chicago Hub and a video producer at Encyclopaedia Britannica.
• Ryan Burrow, news director at WGN Radio.
• Genevieve Lill, director of search at Hearst Newspapers.

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Employer Tables and Career Services

• Meet representatives from participating newsrooms and media organizations
• Connect with hiring managers and editors accepting pitches
• Get a professional headshot
• Receive one-on-one resume and cover-letter feedback
• Practice your interview skills
• Connect with other journalists and media professionals
• Enjoy light bites and beverages

Resume reviews, mock interviews and headshots are first come, first served.

12:30 to 1:30 p.m. | Where Journalism Can Take You Inside and Beyond the Newsroom

A conversation about career paths, transferable skills and opportunities inside and beyond newsrooms

• Kaitlyn Jakola is editorial director for strategy and operations at Chicago Public Media.
• Jennifer Kho is a journalism, news, and information consultant and former Chicago Sun-Times executive editor.
• Kari Lydersen is an independent journalist, contributing reporter at Canary Media and journalism professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School.
• Richard Ray is managing supervisor at Hawthorne Strategy Group and a former journalist with NBC 5 Chicago and the Chicago Tribune.
• Moderated by Jillian Melero, founder and publisher of Connect Puerto Rico.

3 p.m. | Career Fair closes

Participating Newsrooms

• Becker’s Health Care
• Investigative Project on Race and Equity (first two hours)
• Chicago News Weekly
• Chicago Reader
• Windy City Times
• NewsNation
• WGN Radio

This event is made possible by Press Forward Chicago and the Field Foundation.