Chicago News Weekly: Behind the Cover is a podcast that takes you behind the scenes of each cover story, unpacking the reporting, the inspiration, and the untold stories behind the headlines. Each episode, we talk with the journalists, community leaders, and changemakers shaping Chicago—exploring how stories come together, why certain issues are chosen for the cover, and what they reveal about the city today.
Sometimes creating meaningful change begins with making room for something that did not exist before.
In this episode of Behind the Cover, Laura Miller features conversations with Amanda Ballard, photographer and creative director Raji Vela, and environmental advocate and scientist, Dr. Mila K. Marshall, alongside reflections from Peter Jericho and Aja Monet.
From creating spaces for artistic expression and documenting people through photography to expanding access to Chicago's waterways and advancing environmental justice, these conversations explore what it means to open doors, challenge expectations, and build something that extends beyond the individual.
The final installment of Chicago News Weekly's VIBES podcast series celebrates the people who are not simply finding their place in the world but creating space for others.
Produced by Laura Miller and Music By Nyck Caution. You can read the full cover story and more on cnwmedia.com.
6 Oct 2026
VIBES : Finding Your Frequency - Part 1
How do you know when the work has finally become your own?In Episode 2 of Behind the Cover: VIBES, Laura Miller brings together the voices of musician Peter Jericho, furniture designer Julius Dorsey, visual artist Kudzai Mutasa, and poet Aja Monet.Across four different disciplines, they talk about experimentation, influence, discipline, identity, and the process of developing work that feels unmistakably yours. Their stories reveal that finding your frequency is rarely one defining moment. It is built through repetition, risk, curiosity, and the willingness to keep creating before anyone else fully understands what you are making.
6 Oct 2026
Introducing VIBES: On Their Own Frequency
The photograph caught one afternoon. The work behind it took years.In this opening episode of Behind the Cover: VIBES, Laura Miller shares the thinking behind Chicago News Weekly’s VIBES issue and the seven people selected to tell its story. Across music, poetry, visual art, design, photography, science, and creative entrepreneurship, their paths look different, but each reflects what happens when craft, curiosity, and years of work begin to form a voice of their own.This episode sets the stage for the conversations ahead and asks a larger question: What does it take to truly find your own frequency?
14 Sept 2026
The Quest for Illinois’ Second Seat: Christian Mitchell | Behind the Cover
Christian Mitchell is running alongside Gov. J.B. Pritzker as the Democratic candidate for Illinois lieutenant governor. He joins Chicago News Weekly Managing Editor Laura Miller to discuss the family that shaped him, his legislative record, National Guard service and experience inside the governor’s office. He also answers whether he would be prepared to step into Illinois’ highest office.
Produced by CaveRoom Entertainment for the CNW Network at CNW Studio. For more episodes visit the CNW Network on Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Youtube.Visit www.cnwmedia.com (http://www.cnwmedia.com/) to read Chicago News Weekly.
#ChristianMitchell #JBPritzker #IllinoisPolitics #ChicagoPolitics #LieutenantGovernor #IllinoisElection #Election2026 #BlackPolitics #PublicService #ChicagoNewsWeekly #CNWNetwork #BehindTheCover
21 Aug 2026
The Wait Is Over: Chicago State Football Makes History
Chicago has never needed anyone to teach it how to love football. What the city has not had since 1939 is a Division I football program within its limits. Chicago State University is changing that.
In this episode of Behind the Cover, Laura Miller sits down with Athletic Director Dr. Monique Carroll and Head Coach Bobby Rome II to discuss what it took to build a football program where none existed before. From raising millions and recruiting more than 100 student-athletes to preparing an entire university for opening day, the road to the first snap was anything but simple.
Chicago, are you ready for CSU football?
Hosted by Laura Miller
Produced by Caveroom Entertainment
Presented by Chicago News Weekly
#ChicagoStateFootball #ChicagoStateUniversity #CollegeFootball #BehindTheCover
17 Aug 2026
Behind the Cover: Dion Dawson and the Fight for Food Dignity
In this episode of CNW’s Behind the Cover, Laura Miller sits down with Dion Dawson, founder of Dion’s Chicago Dream, for a candid conversation about growing up in Englewood, experiencing homelessness, serving in the military and building an organization that has delivered fresh food to hundreds of thousands of Chicago families.
Dawson also gets candid about what he believes the traditional food pantry model gets wrong, why donated food is not always the answer and the questions more organizations should be asking about dignity, impact and who gets to define success.Go Behind the Cover with Dion Dawson and hear the story behind the work, the philosophy driving Dion’s Chicago Dream and what he believes needs to change about the way we approach food access in Chicago.
Hosted by: Laura Miller
Produced by: Caveroom Entertainment
Finishing Producer: Black Art Media
13 Mar 2026
Legacy in Motion: Keeana Barber on Hustle, Heart, and Building Black Business
In this episode, Laura Miller sits down with WDB Marketing founder and Legacy Awards creator Keeana Barber for a masterclass in entrepreneurship grounded in community and faith. From launching a self-funded gala that grew into a three-day celebration at Soldier Field, to transforming a tiny $300 office into multiple locations, Keeana breaks down how she scaled step by step without losing her soul. She shares the deeply personal story of honoring her late brother through her business, why hustle and humility mattered more than capital, and how WDB Cares is training the next generation of young Black entrepreneurs. You’ll also hear Keeana’s hard-won advice on partnerships, knowing when to grow, and why grace, travel, and believing bigger than your current square footage are essential to building a true legacy in Chicago and beyond.
21 Feb 2026
Can Juliana Stratton Turn Illinois Influence Into Senate Power | Behind the Cover: Road to Senate
Laura Miller sits down with Juliana Stratton as she makes her move toward the United States Senate.
This is not a routine campaign stop. It is a bid for one of the most powerful seats in the country. Stratton talks about why now, what is at stake for Illinois and how she plans to carry her record from Springfield onto a national platform.
From reproductive rights and economic equity to the balance of power in Washington, this conversation centers on ambition, influence and the responsibility that comes with a statewide mandate.
Road to the Senate begins here.
21 Feb 2026
The House Is On Fire: Melissa Conyears Ervin | Behind the Cover: Road to Congress
In this episode of BNW's Behind the Cover, host Laura Miller sits down with Melissa Conyears Ervin—Chicago City Treasurer and candidate for Illinois' 7th Congressional District—for a candid conversation about her journey from Englewood and the West Side to managing $10 billion in city funds. Melissa opens up about growing up with a single mother, being the first in her family to attend college, and what drives her fierce advocacy for working families, the disabled, and those relying on federal assistance programs like SNAP and Medicaid. She also makes headlines with her bold decision to pull city investments from U.S. treasuries under the current administration—and explains exactly why. With the March 17th primary on the horizon, Melissa makes her case for why the 7th District is ready for a congressperson who truly lives the experiences of the people she serves.
17 Feb 2026
Can Richard Boykin Win the 7th? | Behind the Cover: Road to Congress
Laura Miller sits down with Richard Boykin as he enters the race for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, a seat open for the first time in decades. Boykin makes a bold claim. He says he is the only candidate who has actually done the job, having served as chief of staff to Congressman Danny K. Davis. He challenges the field, speaks candidly about public safety in Chicago’s most impacted neighborhoods and outlines why he believes this moment calls for experience, not ambition. This episode is part of CNW’s Behind the Cover: Road to Congress series, where candidates make their case directly to voters.
18 Oct 2025
The Mensa Method: Vic Mensa on Sobriety, Fatherhood, and Reclaiming His Voice
In this intimate conversation ahead of his video viewing event last Saturday, Grammy-nominated artist and activist Vic Mensa reflects on transformation, legacy, and independence. From embracing sobriety and Islam to navigating fatherhood and walking away from the traditional music industry, Vic discusses the spiritual practices that ground him—gratitude, dhikr, and clarity. He shares the story behind naming his son Mansa Musa Mensa, discovering his ancestral connection to the Sahel, and releasing his latest EP Sundiata independently. This is Vic at his most grounded—speaking not to chase headlines, but to build something lasting. Profound, purposeful, and unapologetically rooted.
Please note: The audio for this episode has been cleaned but remains a bit raw, preserving the authentic, unfiltered nature of the conversation.
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