It’s the time of year to make New Year’s resolutions. Every December, I resolve to read more books, bite my nails less, exercise daily and skip the fast-food drive-through when I’m hungry. Unfortunately, I fail at most of these goals before January ends. The allure of the next streaming series, the nervousness before my next class lecture, the fatigue after a long day and my growling stomach inevitably pull me back to old habits.

Over the past two months as INBA president, I’ve thought a lot about the goals and objectives of this organization. Journalism is facing many challenges that demand resilience and creativity. My hope for 2026 is to find additional ways to support journalists – both professional and students – in their everyday work. So here goes: my New Year’s resolutions for the INBA.

Expand the reach of our professional development: If you’ve ever been to a full-weekend INBA convention, you know the sessions are a great way to learn more about covering trending topics and using new technology to enhance our reporting. But in recent years it’s been a challenge to get most members to attend in-person educational sessions. I hope we can take our teaching online to gradually create a library of on-demand content, perhaps in the form of a podcast or video series, that connects our members with digestible bits of useful information they can apply to their jobs.

Increase INBA membership: Our numbers have been declining in recent years. In the fall, we were at 128, a four-year low mark after hovering in the 150s to 170s range during most of that time. See this chart for more details.  With the help of our board and the rest of our members, I’d like to see us launch a recruiting campaign to encourage more journalists, especially those from professional TV and student broadcasting, to join us.

Plan a great awards celebration: Mark Saturday, April 18, 2026, on your calendar now. We’re debuting a new event: the INBA Best of Broadcast Awards. We’re bringing all of our awards into one big night of celebration. We will honor the winners of the professional Crystal Mic Awards, the student SINBA Awards, our college scholarship recipients and Illinoisan of the Year at an evening dinner event in Champaign.

Advocate more publicly for journalism and the right to know: You don’t need me to tell you journalism and First Amendment rights face immense challenges right now. Many of you live it every day. Cuts to public broadcasting funding, physical and verbal attacks on journalists, the lack of respect in the marketplace for solid, factual, hard-hitting reporting, and government efforts to prevent reporters from getting information the public is entitled to – it’s all incredibly disheartening. As president, I will continue to speak out on these issues, especially when they affect journalists right here in Illinois. Journalists play a vital role in bringing accountability, reason, and understanding to the chaotic environment around us. Efforts to block reporters from doing that threaten the foundations of democracy and must be called out.

They say New Year’s resolutions are more likely to stick if you write them down. So there they are. I hope we can work on this list together and have an immensely better outcome than I do with my inability to tear myself away from Netflix and an order of fries.

Happy New Year — and thank you for all you do.

A year ago, Steve Scott returned to a familiar place, near where he grew up in California.

This fall he also stepped back into a familiar role, as PA announcer for an NBA team: the Golden State Warriors. 

“It’s been fun,” Steve said. “I think I may have forgotten how much fun it is.” 

Steve started behind the mic for the Chicago Bulls, first as the backup, then full-time from 2002-2006.  This was during the time he was News Director and anchor at WLS radio. 

It’s also when he was elected 3 times as president of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association.

“At that time we were fighting hard to get cameras in the courts. It was a battle and it was eventually won after I left to go to New York.  I’m proud to be even a small part of making that happen.” 

Steve and his wife Jeanne moved to New York in 2006, when he was hired as an anchor for WCBS radio.  He became involved with the New York Press Club, again serving three terms as president.  In his “free” time, he handled Public Address for the New York Knicks. 

WCBS went off the air in 2024, sending Steve back into the job market.  The Scotts made a cross-country move for his new role at KCBS in San Francisco.  Steve had grown up in Stockton and had attended San Jose State University.  Fun story about that: he didn’t graduate as a younger man, taking a full-time radio job instead, but was able to earn his last credits starting in 2019.  His graduation ceremony in 2020 was cancelled by COVID, but he still counts earning his diploma as one of his proudest accomplishments. 

A chance meeting at the radio station led to his third NBA gig.

“I was coming out of the kitchen, and the Warriors PR staff just happened to be walking by. I was introduced, and the Senior VP comes over and says you know we’re looking for a PA Announcer.”   

Since October, he’s been in what he calls “the best seat in the house” in the Chase Center, where much feels familiar.  

“What is kind of weird is the head coach is Steve Kerr, and I announced him when he was with the Bulls, as a player.”  

The Warriors’ General Manager is Mike Dunleavy, Jr., whom Scott also announced in his playing days. And a current Warriors player is Gary Payton II, whose dad Gary Payton Sr., was on the court in the earlier years of Scott’s announcing career. 

Scott says he wasn’t necessarily looking to do PA again, but with five regular season home games behind him, he’s feeling good.  Now he’s checking the schedule to see if he can make a trip back for the INBA’s Spring Awards on April 18. 

His memories of INBA are of being around similar people who can understand the ups and downs of the business.

“Whether they work in Chicago or Carbondale, or any town in between, we were all in it together.”  

In this INBA Podcast, Margaret Larkin speaks with WGN Radio’s Dave Schwan.

After 45 years in radio news, Schwan is at the height of his career at WGN Radio where he is also on the air with Dean Richards. He talks about anchoring and reporting in Chicago, why he loves doing radio news, hosting the Grant Music Festival concerts and jazz network for WFMT, his mentors, advice, writing, and more. This is from a livestream that Dave did with Margaret Larkin.

The keynote speaker on Saturday night will be former U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos. Other details, including educational sessions, are still coming together. Watch this website and INBA social media (icons are at the top of this page) as those elements are finalized in the weeks ahead.

We do have a few details to share now:

• Tickets for the convention are on sale now. The deadline to purchase tickets is April 20, although you can get an early bird discount by registering by March 31.
• The INBA rate for rooms at the Wyndham will be $104 a night plus tax. Make your reservation now at https://bit.ly/INBASpring2023. Rooms priced at the convention rate are limited.
• Our Saturday night dinner event will feature the SINBA Awards and scholarship presentations for college broadcasters.
• On Sunday morning, NABJ Chicago President Brandon Pope will talk about how Black journalists can prepare for long careers and how newsrooms can provide support.
• You can’t leave Springfield without having a horseshoe. Prior to our Sunday morning session, the hotel will serve attendees a build-your-own breakfast version of the capital city’s signature dish.
• We are seeking business sponsors for our event. Program advertisements and other promotional considerations are available.

In this podcast, Margaret Larkin interviews Jeff Burnett, a producer at WTHR in Indianapolis. Burnett is an Illinois native, with a non-traditional path to broadcast journalism.

Burnett talks about why he delayed going to college and what he learned from working at places like Walmart. Burnett participated in ISU’s TV-10 program and graduated from the Public Affairs Reporting Program at University of Illinois-Springfield.

He previously worked as a producer at WEEK-TV in Peoria and WHAS11 in Louisville.

What drew him to journalism was his interest in music and radio. From there, Burnett said he chose his college where he could get experience in Top 40 radio. To learn how he worked his way from ‘Jeff Jams’ on the radio to TV news producer, take a listen.

In this very special edition of the INBA Podcast, Margaret Larkin interviews John Drummond. Drummond is a legendary TV journalist who spent three decades reporting for CBS2 Chicago. Drummond earned the nickname “Bulldog” for his tenacious reporting. He is known for his coverage of crime, corruption, and the mob in the windy city. He still returns to what he calls “the magic lantern,” every now and then to provide expert analysis and context to stories on CBS2.

But Drummond didn’t start in the big city. He’s from Eau Claire, Wisconsin and he got his first news job doing radio in Iowa.

He said the first time he watched TV was in 1948 and remembers it was “fascinating.” Despite that, it’s not the career he originally wanted.

Drummond was enthralled by the radio broadcasts of WWII and joined the Air Force for four years. He even considered a career in Navy intelligence. After his service he contemplated getting a law degree because of his interest in high school debate.

Ultimately, he got his start in radio and made the transition into TV for a better paycheck; he had a family of three children to support. Drummond said he welcomed the change, adding you have to be “a ham” to work in TV. He had aspired to work in the Twin Cities, but found an opportunity in Chicago and jumped at the chance.

The “Bulldog” gave us some insight on his favorite stories he’s covered in Chicago, including the mob. He said in his career, Chicago had the most powerful mob faction in the country.

If you love history and perspective, this is an episode you can’t miss.

In this podcast, INBA’s Margaret Larkin speaks to Charlie Meyerson about his decades-long career in Chicago news. Meyerson has worked for WGN-AM, WXRT, WNUA, and FM News. He also worked for the Chicago Tribune. Now, he runs his own free email newsletter called Chicago Public Square, where he curates important highlights of the day’s news for subscribers. He also works for Rivet Radio.

Meyerson talks about the challenges with getting younger audiences to listen to radio and how to make money in today’s world of digital news. Despite those challenges, he says he still thinks it’s a great time to get into the communications business. Hey says nowadays, “One person can communicate with thousands of people daily.”

In this podcast, WBBM’s Margaret Larkin interviews NBC5 Chicago veteran reporter Phil Rogers.

Rogers joined WMAQ in 1991, and before that he worked at WBBM Newsradio, KOMA-AM in Oklahoma City, and KVRO-FM in Stillwater, OK.

Rogers talks with Larkin about the news stories he’s covered all over the world throughout his career including Olympic games, conflicts in the Middle East, and the Sandy Hook massacre.

Rogers also dives into how much transparency among public agencies has changed through the course of his career, specifically in Chicago. Spoiler alert: he says it has changed dramatically, but you’ll have to listen to the podcast to hear how he keeps doing the work he does.

To budding journalists, Rogers said, “News isn’t very hard,” adding that 99% of the job is just reporting what happens. He says what interests him is finding the information he’s not supposed to know about. He also talks about how stories can be unpredictable, “News a lot of the time involves things that don’t pan out,” he said, “You’re there to tell the story that you have not the story that you want.”

For journalists hungry for conversations on transparency, public records, and investigative work, this is the INBA podcast for you.

The INBA is thrilled to release the winners of our second annual INBA Crystal Mic Awards. The awards will be presented at our Fall Convention in Bloomington on Saturday, Oct. 8. To register, head to our Eventbrite link. You can also book a room at the Parke Regency Hotel and Conference Center at our group rate through Sept. 16. To book now, click here.

Small Market Radio

Best Station                          

1st place               WCBU-FM, Peoria                                              

2nd place              WNIJ-FM, DeKalb

Best Newscast                     

1st place               WGLT-FM, Normal                                              

2nd place              WLBK, DeKalb

Best Reporter                      

1st place               Joe Deacon, WCBU-FM, Peoria                                        

2nd place              Lyndsay Jones, WGLT-FM, Normal

Breaking News                     

1st place               WMBD, Peoria, “BioUrja Ongoing Disaster”                                  

2nd place              WILL, Urbana, “Rare December Tornado Hits Coles County”

Best Digital Presence         

1st place               WVIK-FM, Quad-Cities

2nd place              WNIJ.org/Hola, DeKalb

Investigative Report           

1st place               WNIJ-FM, DeKalb, Peter Medlin, “Water Woes”

2nd place              WIUM-FM, Macomb, Jane Carlson, “A One Hospital Town”

Sports Report                      

1st place               WILL, Urbana, “Women’s Basketball Hires Shauna Green As Head Coach”

2nd place              WIUM-FM, Macomb, Jane Carlson, “A National Champion”

Use of Sound                       

1st place               WTAX, Springfield, “Fair Fare”

2nd place              WVIK-FM, Quad Cities, “Do You Want To Work On The Railroad?”

Best Writing                         

1st place               WTAX, Springfield, Dave Dahl

2nd place              WNIJ-FM, DeKalb, Yvonne Boose

Large Market Radio

Best Station                          

1st place                WBBM-Chicago                                   

Best Newscast                     

1st place               WBBM-Chicago                                   

2nd place              WLS-Chicago

Best Reporter                      

1st place                Lisa Fielding, WBBM, Chicago                                          

2nd place              Eric Schmid, KWMU, St. Louis

Investigative Report           

1st place                KWMU, St. Louis, “Lack Of Tornado Safe Rooms For Metro East Warehouses”

Sports Report                      

1st place                WBBM, Chicago, “Sports Report with Jeff Joniak”

Use of Sound                       

1st place                KWMU, St. Louis, “This app lets you see what Cahokia Mounds looked like 1,000 years ago”

2nd place              WBBM, Chicago, Lisa Fielding

Small Market TV

Best Station                          

1st place               WREX-TV, Rockford                                            

2nd place              WCIA-TV, Champaign

Paul Davis Best Newscast                  

1st place               WREX-TV, Rockford                                            

2nd place              WGEM-TV, Quincy

Best Reporter                      

1st place                Mike Miletich, WGEM-TV, Quincy                                    

2nd place              Shelby Kluver, WQAD-TV, Moline    

Breaking News                     

1st  place              WGEM-TV, Quincy, “Firefighters Battle Fire And Ice”

2nd place              WIFR-TV, Rockford, “Jury Finds Floyd Brown Guilty Of Second Degree Murder”

Best Digital Presence         

1st place               WREX-TV, Rockford

2nd place              WMBD-TV, Peoria

Investigative Report           

1st place               WEEK-TV, Peoria, Kyle Beachy, “Panhandling in Peoria: How A Pandemic Has Fueled A Problem”

2nd place              WAND-TV, Decatur, Deron Molen/Eric Ahola, “Transferring Trauma”

Sports Report                      

1st place               WQAD-TV, Moline, “La Panterita”

2nd place              WEEK-TV, Peoria, “All-American Hometown Hero”

Use of Video                        

1st place               WQAD-TV, Moline, “John Deere Strike”

2nd place              WMBD-TV, Peoria, “Destination Illinois: Bob & Tom Excellent Adventures”

Best Writing                         

1st place               WIFR-TV, Rockford, Mike Garrigan

2nd place              WQAD-TV, Moline, Josh Lamberty

Best Weather Operation

1st place               WGEM-TV, Quincy

2nd place              WREX-TV, Rockford

Large Market TV

Best Station                          

1st place               KSDK, St. Louis                                    

2nd place              WLS-TV, Chicago

Paul Davis Best Newscast                  

1st place               KSDK, St. Louis                                    

2nd place              WLS-TV, Chicago

Best Reporter                      

1st place                PJ Randhawa, KSDK, St. Louis                                           

2nd place              Emily Manley, KTVI, St. Louis

Breaking News                     

1st  place               WGN, Chicago, “Oak Brook Mall Shooting”                   

Best Digital Presence         

1st place               WLS-TV, Chicago

2nd place              KSDK, St. Louis

Sports Report                      

1st place               KSDK, St. Louis, “Justin Hardy Story”

2nd place              WGN, Chicago, “Ukrainian Boxers”

Use of Video                        

1st place                KSDK, St. Louis, “Stone Carver”

Best Writing                         

1st place                KSDK, St. Louis, Mike Bush

Best Weather Operation

1st place                WLS, Chicago