The Chicago Reader unit represents non-management staff in the editorial and art departments of the venerable free alternative publication. Founded in 1971, the Reader has survived multiple ownership changes since 2007, and in 2022 it became the nonprofit Reader Institute for Community Journalism. The Reader distinguishes itself with long-form writing and nuanced, thoughtful coverage of local news, politics, arts, food, and music—and its unionized workers are the engine powering all of it.