Jake Wittich's Avatar

Jake Wittich

@jakewittich

🌈 Managing Editor and LGBTQ+ news reporter for @windycitytimes.com 📧 Sign up for our newsletters! https://windycitytimes.com/newsletters/ 📍: Chicago

2,268
Followers
705
Following
475
Posts
28.08.2023
Joined
Posts Following

Latest posts by Jake Wittich @jakewittich

Preview
WGN-TV lays off 8 on-air reporters and anchors Monday in massive downsizing The ax is falling at WGN-Ch. 9, cutting a wide swath out of “Chicago’s Very Own” TV newsroom.

Sean Lewis, a nearly two-decade veteran at WGN-TV who has anchored the weekend morning broadcast since 2010, was among several reporters and anchors laid off Monday

25.02.2026 13:00 👍 10 🔁 6 💬 1 📌 0
Post image

From confronting AIDS stigma to building relationships with LGBTQ+ organizers, Jackson’s approach reflected a broader vision of the Rainbow Coalition that included communities often left out of political power.

Read more: windycitytimes.com/2026/02/20/j...

✍️: @jakewittich.bsky.social

21.02.2026 14:44 👍 15 🔁 6 💬 0 📌 1
Preview
Alum Brings Hands-On Community Journalism Seminar to Campus Journalists Jake Wittich ‘17, managing editor of “Windy City Times,” Anna DeShawn, founder of E3 Radio, and guest speakers share their expertise in a six-week program on community journalism at Columb...

@columbiachi.bsky.social laid the foundation for my career by giving me real-life journalism experience and so many industry connections I still lean on today.

It's a full-circle moment to now teach @windycitytimes.com's community journalism cohort back at my alma mater.

18.02.2026 21:20 👍 8 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Democrat under fire over campaign memo implying LGBTQ+ candidates aren’t electable in key California race Ammar Campa-Najjar’s campaign implied that LGBTQ+ candidates can’t win in a newly drawn congressional district.

SCOOP: Ammar Campa-Najjar’s campaign circulated a memo that Democrats say was a dog whistle against the electability of LGBTQ+ candidates running for Congress in California.
www.advocate.com/politics/amm...

17.02.2026 22:58 👍 11 🔁 7 💬 2 📌 2
New Chicago LGBTQ+ Director: Antonio King
New Chicago LGBTQ+ Director: Antonio King YouTube video by The Gaily Show

@jakewittich.bsky.social on Chicago's new LGBTQ Director: Antonio King.

Watch full interview here: youtube.com/live/fWqw1Q7...
@windycitytimes.com
youtube.com/shorts/N2FSG...

12.02.2026 22:21 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Pikachu sighting 🥹

13.02.2026 20:02 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
LGBTQ+ Advisory Council chair Jin-Soo Huh steps down as city ushers in new director - Windy City Times Mayor Brandon Johnson made a surprise appearance Feb. 10 at the Chicago LGBTQ+ Advisory Council’s quarterly meeting to thank outgoing chair Jin-Soo Huh for years of volunteer leadership. “The fact tha...

STORY: windycitytimes.com/2026/02/11/l...

11.02.2026 21:30 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
The Pride flag was removed from Stonewall. That matters. - News Is Out When the Pride flag comes down at Stonewall, it sends a message. A journalist reflects on why that loss of visibility matters.

Wrote my first op-ed on a subject that is dear to me. The Pride flag at Stonewall is more than just a symbol. Its removal is an astounding move to erase our history. newsisout.com/2026/02/the-...

11.02.2026 16:17 👍 13 🔁 5 💬 1 📌 1
Post image Post image

Mayor Brandon Johnson surprised the Chicago LGBTQ+ Advisory Council during its quarterly meeting tonight to thank outgoing chair Jin-Soo Huh for his service.

11.02.2026 02:58 👍 10 🔁 4 💬 1 📌 0
Post image

Among Huh's accomplishments as chair is advocating for the city to hire an LGBTQ+ Affairs Director—a promise fulfilled last month with the appointment of Antonio King (pictured here). Tonight was King's first meeting with the advisory council in this new role.

Story to come for @windycitytimes.com.

11.02.2026 02:58 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
Post image Post image

Mayor Brandon Johnson surprised the Chicago LGBTQ+ Advisory Council during its quarterly meeting tonight to thank outgoing chair Jin-Soo Huh for his service.

11.02.2026 02:58 👍 10 🔁 4 💬 1 📌 0
Video thumbnail

Tamara Leigh of @blaqueoutmagazine.bsky.social explains why journalists need to be embedded in the communities they cover.

This convo is part of The Map of Us pod, a series from @newsisout.bsky.social bringing the LGBTQ+ Media Mapping Project to life.

🎧 Listen: newsisout.com/the-map-of-us-podcast

09.02.2026 17:13 👍 4 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Bad Bunny taps Chicago conductor to lead surprise orchestra in Super Bowl halftime show

Giancarlo Guerrero, artistic director and principal conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival, in what he called a “beautiful surprise,” had nine days notice to join the top-secret musical lineup of the Super Bowl halftime show, which featured powerhouse vocalists Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin.

09.02.2026 15:53 👍 78 🔁 22 💬 0 📌 2
Post image

The second that people are getting sick of you, that’s when you have to go 👏 even 👏 harder 👏

06.02.2026 01:10 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Meet the class of Windy City Times’ 2026 community journalism cohort - Windy City Times Six early-career and journalism-curious storytellers will learn the ins and outs of reporting on underserved communities this spring in Windy City Times and E3 Radio’s second-annual Our Stories, Our P...

Let's go!!!! I'm so thrilled to embark on this journey!

We'll teach key community journalism practices, including non-extractive interviewing, building trust and other best-practices when covering underserved communities.

Join me in congratulating this year's cohort members!

04.02.2026 16:56 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Post image
02.02.2026 20:44 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

I was out sick for a week and a half in January and my email inbox still never recovered 😭

02.02.2026 18:34 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Equality Illinois leader at 2026 gala: Organization “built to face” political challenges - Windy City Times Equality Illinois’s new CEO, Channyn Lynne Parker, gave the keynote at the rights-advocacy’s 2026 annual gala the evening of Jan. 31, where she asserted that the event, which according to estimates ho...

Equality Illinois CEO Channyn Lynne Parker set the tone at the organization’s 2026 gala, calling the night “a sanctuary."

She praised @govpritzker.illinois.gov and @mayorofchicago.bsky.social for affirming that “dignity is not conditional,” and drawing cheers with a forceful call to “abolish ICE.”

02.02.2026 17:21 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Post image

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, and we're honoring Black LGBTQ+ history through the Windy City Times archives.

From 1996–2004, BLACKlines was a Black queer community newspaper documenting Chicago’s Black LGBTQ+ life, leadership, and organizing.

01.02.2026 19:54 👍 9 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 0
Video thumbnail

At last night’s Equality Illinois Gala, Gov. JB Pritzker (@govpritzker.illinois.gov) compared MAGA Republicans’ attacks on trans people, immigrants and people of color to tactics used in Nazi Germany.

“We’ve seen it before in Germany in the early ‘30s, and now they’re invading American cities.”

01.02.2026 15:35 👍 14 🔁 5 💬 0 📌 2

and when Lady Gaga performs LoveDrug at the Grammys then what

31.01.2026 03:18 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

They’re not ending anytime soon.

They will fail in court. They’re cool with that. Because it’s not about winning a conviction.

This is about intimidating us with the high potential pain for doing journalism

30.01.2026 14:00 👍 69 🔁 24 💬 1 📌 3
Video thumbnail

Georgia Fort, an independent journalist and vice president of the Minnesota NABJ chapter, was also arrested by federal agents this morning

I was sent this video of agents at her door:

30.01.2026 14:58 👍 13486 🔁 7201 💬 652 📌 862
Preview
General Strike Friday In Chicago: Here's How Small Businesses Are Supporting Action Millions are expected to skip work, school and shopping as part of a national shutdown protesting violent federal immigration enforcement tactics.

Members of Chicago’s small business community are joining Friday’s nationwide general strike to protest the violent federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota and beyond. blockclubchicago.org/2026/01/30/g... via @blockclubchi.bsky.social

30.01.2026 15:09 👍 6 🔁 4 💬 3 📌 1

What an honor to be in conversation with Tammye Nash from @dallasvoice.bsky.social about this important topic.

30.01.2026 15:27 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Bovino Out, Chi’s LGBTQ+ Affairs Director, and Benny’s New Number - City Cast Chicago Chicagoans have been calling on the mayor’s office to better protect, prioritize, and coordinate resources and outreach for Chicago’s LGBTQ+ commun...

Check out our managing editor, @jakewittich.bsky.social, on today's episode of @citycastchicago.bsky.social, where he discusses Chicago’s new LGBTQ+ Affairs Director, the legacy of Lorraine Sade Baskerville, and this weekend’s Equality Illinois Gala.

Listen here: chicago.citycast.fm/podcasts/bov...

30.01.2026 14:57 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Bovino Out, Chi’s LGBTQ+ Affairs Director, and Benny’s New Number - City Cast Chicago Chicagoans have been calling on the mayor’s office to better protect, prioritize, and coordinate resources and outreach for Chicago’s LGBTQ+ commun...

I’m on today’s episode of @citycastchicago.bsky.social with Justin Laurence from Crain’s Chicago. Our conversation spanned from Chicago’s new Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs to the news around Greg Bovino’s ousting as Border Patrol chief.

Listen here:
chicago.citycast.fm/podcasts/bov...

30.01.2026 14:18 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Language matters: Abolish ICE vs. Abolish “Trump’s ICE” • The TRiiBE Gov. JB Pritzker’s language is a “bad apples” argument dressed in a trenchcoat.

NEW FROM OUR PUBLISHER: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s "Abolish Trump's ICE" language is a “bad apples” argument dressed in a trenchcoat.

Read more of this analysis in our RESHAPE newsletter ⬇️

thetriibe.com/reshape/lang...

27.01.2026 22:04 👍 452 🔁 130 💬 13 📌 29
Preview
Tracking every known federal prosecution in Chicago tied to Trump’s immigration blitz Every known federal prosecution in Chicago tied to Trump’s immigration blitz

The @chicago.suntimes.com has now posted a public tracker of federal criminal cases tied to Operation Midway Blitz, with a small update: We've now tied 32 defendants to the campaign.

The bottom line remains: 15 cleared and no one convicted, so far: chicago.suntimes.com/2026/tracker...

27.01.2026 22:01 👍 164 🔁 99 💬 3 📌 7

I'm not saying he didn't do pro-LGBTQ+ things as mayor...but wasn't it under Rahm that the LGBTQ+ liaison role was eliminated in the first place? And the LGBTQ+ Advisory Council dismantled?

23.01.2026 15:02 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0