Exciting Things to Come at ‘In the Loop’

and a chance to increase your support for 14 East

Hey there, readers! While we don’t have our regularly scheduled newsletter content to share with you today, we wanted to pop in and share some really exciting news about a new project soon to hit your inboxes 👀👀👀. (Don’t worry — the newsletter will return next week!)

Editor-in-chief Grace Del Vecchio reviews photos outside our newsroom in the Loop Campus. Photo by Cam Rodriguez, 14 East

At 14 East, we have the honor and pleasure of curating and covering deep, beautiful and inspiring stories. From long-form investigative pieces and in-depth team projects to personal essays and intricately curated playlists, we are grateful to be able to continuously produce quality content for our readers and community members. 

That being said, we want to give you — yes,  you ​​— an up-close look at how we produce our award-winning pieces. Beginning on January 17, the newsletter will include an original podcast series that gives our readers a look into the mind of our reporters by sharing how we produce our stories along with a reading of the piece we’re exploring in that episode. 

For the month of January, the weekly installments of the podcast will be free for our loyal newsletter readers. Beginning on February 7, readers will have the option to support our newsroom by subscribing to our paid tier in order to continue receiving the podcast.

The rest of the newsletter content will remain free, because we’re committed to our mission of bringing you accessible, timely and impactful news about DePaul and Chicago. 

Former editor-in-chief Marissa Nelson hugs faculty advisor and DePaul journalism professor Amy Merrick at 14 East Live, 14 East’s student-run annual live storytelling event. Photo by Jesus J. Montero, 14 East.

It might (or might not) surprise you that our student newsroom runs on a shoestring budget. We, like many Chicagoans, are experts at making do with what we have and creating remarkable things from it. By launching a paid tier, our team is able to do more to pay our staff, purchase equipment and software, and fund engagement-focused events and projects.

So, what will this subscription include? 

As of right now, complete access to our podcasts which include story readings and an inside look at our storytelling process from pitching to reporting, writing and editing, down to the very last click of the upload button on our end to your computer screen. 

Stay tuned for next week for more information on how paid subscriptions will work and the content included in them. And as always, thank you for reading, we truly can’t wait to go on this journey with all of you. 

Best,

Editor-in-Chief Grace Del Vecchio, Managing Editor Cam Rodriguez and Co-Engagement Editor Claire Malon