The Gaily Show: LGBTQ Journalism in the Age of MAGA

Our first new episode of 2026 drops next week on January 13th! John is really proud of this upcoming episode which is about Bayard Rustin. For this week, we have a recent episode of The Gaily Show which we air in our off weeks.

Today: The 2025 Chicago Journalist of the Year, Jake Wittich, joins us for a special episode of Unpack This For Me. While you know him as a featured contributor to The Gaily Show (bi-weekly on Wednesdays), we take this opportunity for him to unpack how he goes about his work. What does it mean to be a queer journalist when the federal government is dominated by MAGA and using that power to attack the LGBTQ community in blue cities? By sharing his story, we learn more about what it takes to produce quality journalism in a time when the federal government is pumping out dozens of fake news stories and conspiracy theories by the hour.

Windy City Times has been the voice of Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community since 1985. This year marks the news outlet’s 40th anniversary of uplifting queer stories, reporting with Pride and chronicling LGBTQ+ history. Visit WindyCityTimes.com/newsletters to sign up for the publication’s weekly LGBTQ+ news updates.

Jake Wittich is managing editor of Windy City Times, where he reports in-depth stories on Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community and oversees the publication’s growing newsletter operation. And the Chicago Journalist’s Association named him Journalist of the Year 2025.

Watch on YouTube

We're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshow

Credits

Host/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)
Executive Producer: Jim Pounds
Production and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950
Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950
Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy Erickson

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