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Panelists (from left) AnnMarie Morris, sales director for January Spring; John Galer, owner and publisher of Hillsboro Journal Inc.; Jason Hegna, vice president of sales and revenue for Shaw Media; and James Bengfort, associate publisher for Illinois Times in Springfield, talk during the session "Print and Digital Do Mix!" during the Illinois Press Association/Foundation Convention on Thursday, Aug. 11, at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Springfield. (Photo by Erin Henkel for Illinois Press Association)
By ERIN HENKEL For Illinois Press Association
SPRINGFIELD – John Galer’s message during the first session of the first in-person Illinois Press Association/Foundation convention since 2019 was straightforward.
“If you don’t have something digital, you’re not going to have an audience in the long run,” said Galer, owner and publisher of Hillsboro Journal Inc.
Galer was a panel member during the “Print and Digital Do Mix!” discussion on Thursday, Aug. 11, at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel. Also on the panel were AnnMarie Morris, sales director for January Spring, Jason Hegna, vice president of sales and revenue for Shaw Media, and James Bengfort, associate publisher for Illinois Times in Springfield.
The fireside chat style panel, as described by Morris, emphasized the importance of combining digital with traditional print products.
Offering digital content with print content not only increases the total buy but benefits the client with more audience engagement and market penetration.
“I use the McDonald’s philosophy,” Bengfort said. “If McDonald’s thought that they could make more money just selling burgers they would just sell burgers, but they do sell their combo meals, which is what our goal is to do, …to increase that total buy as long as it’s doing a good job for the client because we want them to be benefited.”
There has been some push back in the industry from people who feel that print advertising is a safer, more profitable option as opposed to digital advertising. Bengfort argues that in the long -term, bundles and combo packages offer more revenue and broader service to the client.
“There are some clients that we can’t deliver the audience based on our pages so we do outsource or look for other things that will do what that client needs to reach that specific audience,” Bengfort said.
Galer created a successful combo that combined print and digital advertising that appealed to clients such as health care agencies that serve the community. Galer’s focus is on community journalism and has found that the combo packages serve his clients well.
“The promo that I started early on with the quarter-page and the banner has been very successful for the right customer,” Galer said.
One popular digital tool being used to reach specific audiences are newsletters that can be tailored to fit a certain demographic that advertisers are trying to reach.
“Newsletters have become really big for us,” Hegna said. “We’ve been really segmenting out—we have morning update newsletters, we have breaking news newsletters, we have town specific newsletters. I think our email list has gotten over half a million [subscribers].”
Newsletters provide data analytics that represent quantitative proof of which audiences are being reached and how many engagements are occurring with the advertiser’s message.
“Our newsletter, like Jason said, is the most engaged because the reporting,” Bengfort said. “I can send a report back to the clients saying ‘122 people just clicked on your banner ad when they clicked on this story,’ so its quantifiable proof.”
A simple open of a newsletter is no longer a valuable measure of audience engagement after Apple made a change to its email platform in January. The change is meant to enhance privacy protections for Apple users but has made it more difficult to analyze email campaign effectiveness.
“In January of this year, Apple made a change on their email platform which is essentially showing that every email being sent to and opened on an Apple device is an open whether or not they are opening it, so open rates are no longer the measure that we are looking for and are no longer relevant,” Morris said.
Contests and promotions are also a popular option being used to reach a wide array of markets because audiences find them entertaining.
“We have a miniature butter cow contest sponsored by Prairie Farms Dairy because in 2020 there wasn’t a [State] fair, …so we created this sponsorship contest through Second Street where people uploaded a picture of their creation, it was free to enter and we gave $500 cash prizes away and they were on display for the State Fair but we had opt-in questions for Prairie Farms and had around 600 opt-ins,” Bengfort said.
Another point that was emphasized during the panel discussion is passion and teamwork for a successful campaign
“You can only sell what you believe in. …We started having these all-staff meetings where we were bringing all the reps together and the team together. It really made them feel like they were part of a much larger team,” Hegna said.
Attendees continued the conversation on combining print and digital during power sessions that followed. The round table offered a way to brainstorm ideas with people across a wide range of markets.
John Galer talked about a successful combination of print and digital advertising that appealed to clients such as health care agencies that serve the community. "The promo that I started early on with the quarter-page and the banner ahs been very successful for the right customer," said Galer, whose flagship paper, The Journal-News in Hillsboro, focuses on community journalism. (Photos by Erin Henkel for Illinois Press Association)
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 26, 2026 Media Contact Information: Cartwheel Emily Paisner (888) 500-2067 emily.paisner@cartwheelcare.org
$1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois will help Cartwheel scale access to care in rural and underserved communities through 2028
CHICAGO — August 26, 2026 — Cartwheel Care, a telehealth mental health provider for K-12 schools, today announced plans to expand access to care for up to 100,000 students across Illinois, supported by a $1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL). The additional funding builds on an existing partnership between Cartwheel and BCBSIL, following a year of strong engagement and clinical outcomes. Cartwheel currently serves 40 Illinois school districts, and the grant will help expand services further into rural and underserved communities across the state through 2028. Mental health needs among Illinois students remain high. According to data from Lurie Children’s Hospital, approximately 50% of Illinois youth (ages 2–17) have experienced worsening mental health symptoms in recent years. At the same time, access to care has not kept pace: more than 80 of Illinois’ 102 counties have no practicing child psychiatrist, and the shortage is most acute in rural areas, where families often wait months for an appointment or travel significant distances for care. Cartwheel’s telehealth model is designed to remove the access barriers rural families face, like long waitlists and the need to travel to see a provider. By partnering with schools, Cartwheel provides licensed, Illinois-based clinicians with no waitlist, accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid, and reaches kids and families where they already are, without requiring them to find or travel to an outside provider. “Every student experiences mental health challenges differently, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to supporting them,” said Dr. Juliana Chen, chief medical officer at Cartwheel. “Our goal is to meet students and families where they are, with practical support that helps them build skills, strengthen relationships, and feel more confident navigating challenges at school and at home. BCBSIL’s support is what allows us to bring that care to more Illinois communities.” “Supporting the health and well-being of Illinois youth is critical to building stronger communities,” said Brian Snell, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. “The results we’ve seen through our partnership with Cartwheel demonstrate the impact that timely, accessible mental health services can have for students and families. This investment will help bring those services to even more communities across our state.” To date, four Illinois districts have received Cartwheel’s services through this grant: Steger SD 194 in Cook County and Will County, Troy CCSD 30-C in Will County, Mattoon CUSD 2 in Coles County, and Wolf Branch SD #113 in St. Clair County. In the first year of the program, more than 200 students were referred for care and completed more than 1,000 telehealth sessions. Appointments were scheduled in the same week with no waitlist. Sixty-eight percent of students served were covered by Medicaid or uninsured. Overall, 73% of students showed meaningful improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms on standard clinical screeners (GAD-7/PHQ-9). Additional districts where Cartwheel services are launching this fall include Litchfield CUSD #12, Panhandle CUSD #2, Leyden High School District #212, and Regional Office of Education #40. With the support of this grant, Cartwheel expects to expand into another 30 to 50 school districts, bringing access to care to a total of 100,000 students across Illinois. “Before this partnership, getting a student connected to care could take months,” said Jeffrey Peterson, director of student services & records at Troy CCSD 30-C. “Now our counselors can refer a student, know they’ll be seen within days, and are seeing real improvements as a result.” Through the grant, Cartwheel provides individual and family therapy, parent guidance, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, and specialized care programs for challenges like school avoidance, social media use, and intense emotions and behavior challenges. As reported in Illinois Policy, in 2025 about 25% of Illinois students missed at least 10% of the school year and this was more severe among low-income students, with 35.1% in that group chronically absent. Cartwheel’s school avoidance program delivers evidence-based care designed specifically for students struggling with school avoidance. In partnership with Cartwheel, Peoria Public Schools saw a 62% reduction in absences per student, along with decreases in suspensions and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Illinois school districts that want to learn more about this opportunity for the upcoming school year should visit: www.cartwheel.org/illinois. About Cartwheel Cartwheel is the nation’s largest and most trusted telehealth provider for K-12 schools, students, and families. Cartwheel partners with 350 school districts across 15 states to deliver comprehensive mental health services to students, families, and school staff. Founded in 2022 by educators and clinicians, Cartwheel combines evidence-based clinical care with technology to ensure every child has access to high-quality mental health support. Cartwheel accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid and provides care at no cost to uninsured families. For more information visit: www.cartwheel.org. About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is the largest health insurer in Illinois, serving nine million members and operating in all 102 Illinois counties. BCBSIL is a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Learn more at bcbsil.com and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 24, 2026 Media Contact Information: Mather Institute Cindy Droog, president, Sabo PR (616) 717-8654 cindy@sabo-pr.com
Free online tool by Mather Institute supports local planning, partnership and investments
EVANSTON, Illinois – Chicago has a new tool to help understand where neighborhood conditions support social wellness among older adults – and where thoughtful investment and partnership may expand opportunities. Mather Institute launched a first-of-its-kind free Social Wellness Map, which scores the 77 community areas in Chicago on social wellness – a measure of feeling connected with others and with a community – for adults 55 and better. Previous research shows strong social ties are one of the most important predictors of a happy and long life, and that neighborhoods and communities shape how people interact, support one another and build shared identity. Mather Institute developed the map in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago. Designed as a planning and advocacy resource, the interactive map can help policymakers, community organizations, funders, planners and service providers explore local patterns, identify assets and consider where new investments may have the greatest benefit for older adults. “Social wellness is a crucial, yet often overlooked, part of healthy aging,” said Cate O’Brien, MPH, Ph.D., chief transformation officer at Mather Institute. “Because every community contains diverse histories, people and experiences, the map is intended to inform – not replace – local knowledge. The most useful next step is conversation. When organizations bring this data together with resident voices, they can better understand what is already working and what could be most beneficial to older adults and their communities.” The map is based on a new survey of more than 4,000 Chicago residents age 55 and better, combined with public data on community conditions, including walkability, economic factors and access to gathering places such as libraries, churches and community centers. Factors such as crime, lack of local businesses and poverty can hinder social wellness, but don’t tell the whole story. Users can view a side-by-side comparison of communities to explore how social wellness relates to health, happiness, income and other factors. Key findings include:
“Community leaders often have deep local knowledge, but need data to support the case for programs, funding and partnerships,” said Jennifer L. Smith, Ph.D., vice president of Mather Institute. “The Social Wellness Map offers another lens for understanding older adults’ experiences and for turning local insight into action.” High social wellness scores were not confined to one part of Chicago or to its wealthiest areas, suggesting that other factors such as neighborhood identity, belonging and longstanding social ties are also important to connection. Chatham emerged as a notable example, with a social wellness score of 8.14 out of 10, illustrating social wellness reflects aspects of community life beyond economic and safety indicators alone. Beverly received the highest community connectability score: 100 out of 100. Beverly is notable for its low crime rates, a strong family culture and several longstanding community gathering places. Jefferson Park stood out for having community conditions that support connection such as accessible transit, retail activity and established cultural gathering places. The map is free to use and does not require user registration. It can be explored at: https://www.matherinstitute.com/social-wellness-map/
About Mather and Mather Institute
Based in Evanston, Illinois, Mather is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1941 that is dedicated to a vision of changing the way society views aging. Mather creates Ways to Age Well℠ through programs, places and residences for today’s older adults. These include developing and operating communities that support older adults in pursuing wellness and fulfillment; sparking creativity and connections for older adults in Chicagoland and beyond; and through Mather Institute, conducting research and incubating innovation to help all live and age well.
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