Building Power in Cicero: How Cicero Independiente is Transforming Civic Engagement
In 2018, while organizing in Cicero during the first Trump administration, Irene Romulo identified a critical need for accessible information about town board meetings, ordinances, and voting processes, especially amid heightened immigration enforcement. “I wanted there to be more coverage about the ways that people were resisting or investigations into the Town’s collaborations with ICE,” Irene shared. The lack of Spanish-language resources in the predominantly Spanish-speaking community further highlighted this gap.
Irene began collaborating with community members to address these gaps, uncovering a strong demand for more accessible information about schools, local businesses, and elections. Through Irene’s work, she connected with Ankur Singh, a local reporter in Cicero, and April Alonso, a Cicero resident passionate about Spanish-language media and the portrayal of Latines in media. Together, they launched Cicero Independiente in 2019, an independent nonprofit newsroom focused on addressing systemic inequities and transforming civic engagement in Cicero and Berwyn through community-driven journalism.
April Alonso, Digital Editor
Since its founding, Cicero Independiente has evolved to meet the needs of the community through multiple political and social shifts, including the transition into the second Trump administration. The newsroom has remained a trusted source of hyperlocal reporting, capturing the community’s unique stories and challenges often overlooked by larger media outlets. They have provided essential information to community members during local crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 Cicero floods, and air quality issues while empowering youth to explore journalism and influence local systems of power.
Their early initiatives, such as organizing forums on running for local office, helped to foster civic engagement in the area, leading to more community members stepping into leadership roles and emphasizing the newsroom’s mission to empower the community.
Irene Romulo, Development and Community Engagement Coordinator
Community-Centered Coverage in Action
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cicero Independiente shifted its coverage focus to addressing the community’s immediate needs. “We saw a big need for COVID-related information—where cases were, where to find food,” Irene recalled. “We had a Facebook group where people could connect to share PPE or updates on where to buy hand sanitizer.”
Cicero Independiente became a trusted messenger of Spanish-language COVID-19 information, which was scarce then. Through investigative reporting, they guided their readers in navigating the pandemic’s challenges and highlighted inequities in accessing vaccines during the early rollout. “Our reporting talked about how inequitable and inaccessible the processes were for people who didn’t know how to use a Google form or for older people who didn’t know how to navigate online systems,” Irene shared.
Environmental reporter Leslie Hurtado covered a 2020 story about the need for Spanish interpreters in COVID units at local hospitals. “Unfortunately, there was so much misinformation, or providers were not translating the information to patients and their families, and it led to very dangerous consequences,” Leslie recalled. Her story inspired larger outlets, like The Chicago Tribune, to cover the issue and sparked conversations about improving hospital services for Spanish-speaking patients.
Making Connections, Meeting Needs
Harnessing the Power of Young Voices
Cicero Independiente understands the importance of hyperlocal journalism, particularly for young people. Luis Velazquez, Editor since 2023, joined as a fellow in 2020 and later became a freelance journalist. “When I was a little kid, I viewed Cicero as a town that I just lived in,” he stated. “But after getting into journalism and doing community stories at Cicero Independiente, working here has encouraged me to be proud of where I’m from.”
The team not only tells stories about young people in the area but also mentors them through its paid mentorship program, which offers training in writing, digital media, and more. This initiative empowers participants to become civically engaged while building professional skills. “We let individuals share their perspectives and cover stories that they’ve been wanting to do but just don’t know where to start,” Luis shared. “There is this perspective that you need to go to journalism school to be a reporter or a journalist, and that’s not what we do here.”
Youth and Schools reporter Efrain Soriano exemplifies the program’s impact. Starting as a freelancer four years ago, they later became a staff member and have used their reporting to advocate for the community. In 2022, Efrain’s story on basketball courts in Cicero that had been closed for several years helped to reopen them, demonstrating the power of amplifying youth’s voices. “Roughly 30% of Cicero’s population are comprised of young people under 18,” they noted. “That is a third of the community that doesn’t get to make decisions about things that disproportionately affect young people.”
Efrain’s work extends beyond reporting. Their role on the Cicero Safety Action Plan Committee has contributed to local infrastructure improvements inspired by their engagement with area youth. Efrain’s efforts underscore the newsroom’s mission to give young people a platform to influence decisions shaping their lives and communities.
Creating Space for Belonging and Identity
“For many of us that have grown up here—and we hear this a lot—we sometimes feel like we don’t belong in this community,” Irene shares. “We want people to feel like our news represents who they are and the different identities that exist in our community.”
Shortly after the 2024 presidential election, Efrain recalled an interaction with a community member: “One young person talked to us about their fear, specifically for their trans partner who was not sure if they will have the same access to health care that they require [under the new administration],” they said. “It’s a priority for us to create a safe space for trans youth and publish stories in the future that can help them navigate their needs because the outcome of the election is very frightening for them and everyone overall.”
Cicero Independiente has profiled events that foster community involvement and belonging, such as Queer Prom, which provided a safe space for queer youth to be themselves and have fun. “The more we can empower youth through things like Queer Prom coverage or other feel-good stories, they become a more visible part of our culture in Cicero, which has not been the case before,” explained Luis.
This experience has fueled Cicero Independiente’s coverage of other positive stories in Cicero. In response to reader feedback, Cicero Independiente launched their newsletter’s “What’s Good Cicero?” series to share uplifting local news. This monthly section featured stories on topics like getting involved in gardening, new businesses reflecting the area’s cultural diversity, and a teacher who held graduations at children’s homes during COVID.
Efrain Soriano, Youth and Schools Reporter
Amplifying Voices, Shaping the Future
Cicero Independiente publishes three monthly stories, including a print edition, and leverages social media to connect with readers and share local news. The team has also increased community engagement by live-streaming Town board meetings and experimenting with new ways to present information. “We are fine-tuning to fit people’s needs,” Irene said.
Looking ahead, the team aims to grow by hiring additional reporters and creating a community newsroom—a public space where community members can gather, organize, and access storytelling tools. “There aren’t many spaces in Cicero or Berwyn where you can just gather for free and plan, organize, and connect,” Irene explained.
Irene Romulo, Development and Community Engagement Coordinator