Dr. Ebony Only
Interim Publisher
Dr. Ebony D. Only has emerged as a dynamic force in journalism as The Chicago Reporter‘s Interim Publisher, where she leverages her multifaceted expertise in academia, spirituality, and organizational leadership to advance TCR’s 52-year mission of investigating race, poverty, and social inequality. A recognized authority on faith-based social justice and community wellness, Only has authored two influential works: Balance & Bloom: A Self-Care Journey and The Soul’s Oasis: Navigating the Divine Path of Self-Care for Clergy, revolutionizing approaches to self-care for both general audiences and spiritual leaders. Through her regular contributions to The Christian Citizen and leadership of The Chicago Reporter, Only examines crucial intersections of faith, social justice, and community wellbeing while championing a vision that pairs investigative reporting with solutions journalism to both expose systemic inequities and illuminate community-driven pathways to change.
Katherine Schulder-Battis
Investigative Editor
Katie Schulder-Battis is an accomplished investigative journalist serving as the Chicago Reporter’s Investigative Editor, where she has focused on legal justice reform, local policy, and healthcare systems since 2022. A graduate of Fordham University with a BA in English Literature and Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism with an MSJ in Editorial Journalism, Schulder-Battis gained recognition as Medill’s 2023 Pulitzer Center Consortium Fellow. Her reporting on climate justice, indigenous rights, and community solutions has reached international audiences through publications including The Diplomat, Architectural Review, Hong Kong Free Press, and The Appeal, establishing her as a versatile journalist committed to investigative storytelling and social impact.
Kenya Joyce Hatch
Development Associate
Kenya Joyce Hatch is a visionary nonprofit leader, strategist, and advocate for education equity and community transformation. She has recently served as the Director of Development and Strategic Planning at the MAAFA Redemption Project and Executive Director of the Beautiful Seed Foundation. A proud Chicago native, Kenya holds a BA in Education from Northern Illinois University, an MBA from Howard University, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree at Howard University School of Divinity. Her work is deeply rooted in faith, justice, and a commitment to building sustainable pathways for underrepresented communities to thrive.
Relana Johnson
Digital Operations and Content Manager
Award-winning graphic artist Relana Johnson has established herself as a leading Art Director and Brand consultant in Chicago, with a distinguished career spanning graphic design, book publishing, and business development. A University of Illinois graduate with expertise in advertising and design, Johnson has rapidly advanced in her field, becoming Lead Creative for two prominent Chicago publishing families and earning recognition including an APS International Best Anthology award and NAACP Image Award nomination. Her work has been featured on major networks like ABC 7 News and BET, and her client base extends nationwide from Chicago to Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. Named among “18 Most Powerful Women on the Southside” and “Chicago’s 50 Most Wanted Women of Distinction,” Johnson also dedicates her time to mentoring entrepreneurs and coaching aspiring authors while advocating for GenX and Xennial women’s empowerment.
Sara Cooper
Intern
Sara is a current graduate student with Northwestern Medill’s Master of Science Journalism program, pursuing a specialization in Health, Environment and Science. Her work has focused on issues of climate change, nature and wildlife conservation and environmental justice. Before coming to Medill, Sara graduated from Wellesley College with a BA in psychology and an emphasis in visual arts. She worked for several years in research and analytics for a public relations company, building an expertise in data communication and visualization that she now brings to her reporting. Outside of work, Sara loves hiking and exploring the natural world. Through journalism she hopes to build a career around that passion. Other favorite activities include drawing and (very poorly) playing the guitar. You can view her journalism portfolio here: https://saracooper2025.github.io/Portfolio/Landing%20Page/
Our Founders
John A. McDermott
Editor and Publisher of The Chicago Reporter
1972 to 1985
“Race,” John A. McDermott wrote, “touches everybody and everything. Racial peace and progress are more than moral ideals today. They are matters of profound self-interest to every person and institution in this community.”
That philosophy, posed in the inaugural editorial in The Chicago Reporter, was the mission of McDermott’s life and his most lasting legacy. In 1972, the civil rights activist founded a publication that he promised would go far beyond “mere muckraking.” The Reporter would be “dispassionate, accurate and constructive in its approach” to the “make or break” issue of race.
McDermott dedicated his career to fighting for racial progress. In 1960, the Philadelphia native moved to Chicago to serve as director of the Catholic Interracial Council of Chicago. There, he helped organize the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic 1966 trip to Chicago, as well as King’s meeting with then-Mayor Richard J. Daley. He also marched with King in Selma, Ala., and in Chicago. And McDermott helped create the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities, a Chicago-based fair housing group.
McDermott served as editor and publisher of the Reporter from 1972 to 1985. Chicago magazine once hailed McDermott the “Editor for the Public Conscience.” His publication became the foremost, most trusted resource on race and poverty in the city, winning more than 30 journalism awards under his tenure.
He passed away in 1996 after a long battle with leukemia, leaving behind his wife, Marie Therese, and three sons: John Jr., Michael and Matthew.
And an award-winning news organization that continues McDermott’s original charge: To “tell it like it is.”
Linda Lenz
Publisher of Catalyst Chicago
1990 to 2016
In 1989, when the Chicago School Reform Act gave rise to local school councils and other major policy changes, Linda Lenz, then an education writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, saw the need for a publication that would focus on public education with the kind of detail and depth that her newspaper and others could not.
At the time, Chicago was about to elect its first LSC members, and Lenz knew from her reporting that while many of the parents, teachers and community members on these panels would bring fresh insights, they also would face a knowledge gap about the larger issues that would affect their work and their schools.
She brought her idea to the Community Renewal Society, and soon after published the first issue of Catalyst in February 1990.
It quickly became a trusted watchdog and resource for school improvement in Chicago.
Catalyst combined data analysis, extensive on-the-ground reporting and a wealth of knowledge about the Chicago Public Schools to address a wide range of topics, among them issues in teaching and learning, school choice, equity in school resources and the latest relevant research.
Most notably, it was Catalyst reporting that sparked the federal investigation into a questionable $20 million no-bid CPS contract for principal training, which led in turn to corruption charges against CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett, who pleaded guilty.
Such reporting brought Catalyst and its small staff dozens of national and local awards.
In 2016, Lenz retired from her position as publisher, and Catalyst and The Reporter began a merger that aims to broaden education coverage by examining other issues, besides schools, that have an impact on student learning.