Picture of a "Welcome to Illinois" road sign. Image is being used for a blog post about top media outlets in Illinois.

Top Media Outlets in Illinois 

For small and midsize businesses in Illinois, securing earned media mentions in popular local outlets is an excellent way to build brand awareness, increase exposure, solidify a positive reputation, and much more.  

Landing earned media mentions starts with strategic targeting. 

Here’s a list of the top media outlets in Illinois. 

Top Media Outlets in Illinois

Top Newspapers in Illinois 

Chicago Tribune (Chicago) 

The Chicago Sun-Times (Chicago) 

The Chicago Daily Herald (Chicago) 

Peoria Daily Journal (Peoria) 

The Pantagraph (Bloomington-Normal) 

The State Journal-Register (Springfield) 

Daily Herald (Arlington Heights) 

Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake) 

Top TV Stations in Illinois 

WGN-TV (Chicago) 

WFLD (Chicago) 

WBBM-TV (Chicago) 

WMAQ-TV (Chicago) 

WLS-TV (Chicago) 

WEEK-TV (Peoria) 

WICS (Springfield) 

WRSP-TV (Springfield) 

Top Radio Stations in Illinois 

WLIT-FM (Chicago) 

WVAZ (Chicago) 

WKSC-FM (Chicago) 

WCHI-FM (Chicago) 

WBEZ (Chicago) 

WLS-FM (Chicago) 

WUIS  

Now that you have a list of the top media outlets in Illinois, what’s your next move? 

The next step in the earned media process is putting this information to work.  

To do so, you’ll need to dig a bit deeper to pinpoint the people behind the publication.  

Who writes about your industry? What’s their contact information? 

These seem like basic questions but uncovering these details can be difficult and this is where a media database can help. 

What’s a Media Database?  

A media database is a directory that consists of the contact information of individual members of the press.   

These contacts can include journalists, producers, editors, reporters, social media influencers, bloggers, and many other titles.   

Typically, these databases will include relevant email addresses, phone numbers, social media handles, and any other contact information that can be used to engage individual members of the media.   

Our Data, Your Opportunities  

Our Media Database empowers our clients to target and pitch the right journalists to make a bigger impact with their next press release and PR campaign.  

A subscription to our Media Database provides access to a comprehensive repository of 800,000 media contacts that are updated in real-time through a blend of technology and human-centered review.  

In our Media Database, users can refine their searches with filters that include:    

  • Beats will cover the industry you are trying to target.  
  • Media Types include journals, newspapers, TV, magazines, blogs, radio, and more.   
  • Role covers the person’s duty at the outlet. This could be a journalist, reporter, editor, and more.  
  • Coverage will allow you to select what type of media you’d like to look for including local, national, international, or regional.  
  • Location allows you to select the geographical areas you’d like to focus on.  

Personalization is the first step in empowering the Media Advantage which is greater brand awareness through earned media, increased online visibility through greater SEO recognition, and more sales inquiries through targeted digital marketing campaigns.  

Newswire’s Press Release Optimizer (PRO)   

PRO is a full-service media and marketing communications program that turns owned media into earned media opportunities to accelerate business growth.   

When clients join the program, they’re paired with our experts who customize a media and marketing communications plan and handle all campaign production, delivering a cost-effective solution and unbeatable value.   

As part of the PRO Plan, our clients have access to our Media and Commercial Databases in addition to our suite of press release distribution services that include:  

Press Release Distribution  

Press releases are distributed to thousands of trusted media outlets to help our clients gain greater brand awareness with their target audience.   

Campaign Management  

Plan, launch and track media and marketing programs throughout the life cycle of integrated campaigns.  

Media Watch  

Keep track of online content that mentions your brand, your competitors, and relevant news/trending topics within your industry.   

Media Room  

An online informational hub where a brand’s content is hosted. Can include news articles, press releases, blogs, social media posts, videos, and more.   

Analytics  

Collect and evaluate unique data points to help your company understand the impact of your campaigns and empower the next steps.  

If you have any questions about our Media Database or need additional support, contact us today! 

Maria Marchewka is a Digital Marketing Strategist at Newswire. Maria is an experienced copywriter, social media marketer, content creator, strategist, and project manager. Her firm belief in being a practitioner and not a preacher of marketing concepts has put her in a position to help companies build brand awareness and connect with their target audiences online.

Catch up on the rest of your content marketing news and strategy