Community Conversation On The Next Chapter For The Elmwood Park Advocate: A Recap
By Kevin Gosztola, Editor
On June 20, the Elmwood Park Advocate held its fourth “Community Conversation” of 2026. We were up against a beautiful sunny day, and there was less of a turnout. But since everyone in the room had regularly attended our conversations, the newsletter was able to have a more open and honest discussion.
We held our first Community Conversation a year ago, and it focused on the lack of local journalism in Elmwood Park. At the time, the Elmwood Park Advocate was just an idea. The conversation was our way of seeing if residents would show any interest in a newsletter.
This conversation was an opportunity to collect positive and negative feedback on the role of the newsletter so far. We also asked those in the room what they would like to see published in the coming year.
One of the first comments involved being afraid to speak openly. The person said they had sometimes wondered what was acceptable to say at our conversations, and how political they should be. In their view, if a person has the facts to back up their opinion, they should be able to express that opinion.
A longtime resident said they were drawn to the Elmwood Park Advocate because it was focused on opening up a broader conversation about journalism and how more residents in the community could have a voice in important matters. They personally do not spend a lot of time on Facebook, and they saw the potential for the newsletter to do positive information sharing. It could share details about events that were happening or offer lists of garage sales that are happening on garage sale weekends.
“I like the mix of what you’ve done,” another resident said, including the history of the bungalow homes and the way that the newsletter could highlight what has changed in the village. As a 13-year resident, they mentioned that the newsletter could constructively challenge some of the popular stereotypes of the village—along with sharing upcoming library programs or village events.
There are several Facebook community groups, which have a way of dividing residents, one resident argued. Several of them are known to censor posts from residents. Or they are filled with advertisements for people promoting their businesses. To them, the value of the Elmwood Park Advocate has been that it makes local news accessible to all people. They liked the articles that have been provocative or directly confronted elected representatives and local officials.
As the conversation progressed, a few people in the room addressed the supposedly controversial nature of some of the newsletter’s reporting and writing. What one person liked was that opinion posts are clearly labeled as editorials. But then there are articles that are researched and based entirely in fact, and what they have noticed is if it does not match a person’s worldview then that person might dismiss it as a bunch of complaining.
We all look at things from our biased viewpoints, one resident said. Is it political simply to cover the day-to-day actions of a political body in the village?
Yet another resident recognized that the Elmwood Park Advocate makes it possible for the community to pay closer attention to certain issues.
During the last part of the conversation, several suggestions were offered. The first suggestion was that the newsletter put together posts with bullet points on village developments for those who maybe do not want to read the lengthier articles.
Other suggestions included audio versions of articles as well as translations for residents who speak Spanish, Polish, Ukrainian, and other languages.
Looking ahead, the Elmwood Park Advocate will be participating in the village’s 4th of July parade.
This is a not-for-profit newsletter and should be allowed to participate without paying $100. But since some village officials have had trouble accepting the fact that we should not be treated as a commercial organization, we paid the entry fee.
The Elmwood Park Advocate hired Seth Greenberg, a photographer, college student, and village resident, to take photos for us while he is home for the summer. But it costs money to pay him for his work, and in the next month or two, the newsletter will take a step toward becoming a reader-supported newsletter by enabling paid subscriptions.
We will be back with our next Community Conversation in September. Our focus will be the school district. In the meantime, enjoy your summer.