Reader Wrapped: Top Stories of 2023!

Check out what everyone was reading this past year. [READER]( The Daily Reader 🎉 December 18, 2023 🎉 2023 was a big year for the Reader. After getting settled into our new nonprofit role as the Reader Institute for Community Journalism, led by a [new CEO & publisher]( and [new editor-in-chief]( it's been a year full of changes. All that means for you, our readers, is that we have the continued privilege of telling the stories of our amazing city, and the people who make it such a dynamic place to call home. We've been around for 52 years, but we're just getting started. 1 in 3 Chicagoans interact with the Reader: in 2024, we're committed to expanding our reach and coverage to better get to know our audience. We're excited to serve the legacy of uniquely Chicago journalism, always free to the public. If you're feeling generous, help our mission by becoming part of the [Reader Membership Community]( for only $5 a month. While we're sure you're ready to move on from 2023, stick around for just a little longer - we've compiled the articles that readers came back to again and again this year. Most of them are from this year (we like to stay current!), but an article from 1987 landed in the top three. Keep scrolling to join us for Reader Wrapped 2023! Plus: [click here]( for the link to this newsletter, as well as graphics to share on your social [feeds]( and [stories]( - after all, did you really read this if everyone doesn't know about it? 1. [2023 Chicago Police District Councils Voter Guide]( by [Jim Daley]( and [J. Patrick Patterson]( Over 87,000 views and 41.6k users This guide was co-published with [South Side Weekly](. 2. [Best action to take when an unhoused Chicagoan is sleeping across three seats on the train]( (April 2023) by [Katie Prout]( Nothing. Do absolutely nothing. Don’t take a picture of someone at their most vulnerable. 3. [They Came in Through the Bathroom Mirror]( (Sept 1987) by [Steve Bogira]( Ruthie Mae McCoy was the type who talked to herself and cursed strangers on the street. When she called 911 to report that someone was coming through the medicine cabinet of her Abbott Homes apartment, she might have been hallucinating. But she wasn’t. 4. [Police district candidate’s social media full of racist and misogynist posts]( (Jan 2023) by [Jim Daley]( Perry Abbasi, an FOP election attorney and candidate in the 25th police district, defended the posts as humorous trolling. 5. [Ken Comes Out]( (July 1993) by [Dan Savage]( "We’re not in the business of putting cock rings into the hands of little girls." —Lisa McKendall, manager of marketing and communications, Mattel Toys 6. [Review: Jesus Revolution]( (March 2023) by [Alani Vargas]( This feel-good “Jesus Movement” drama ignores an important history. 7. [Farewell to Dave’s Records]( (Jan 2023) by [Leor Galil]( and [Kathleen Hinkel]( Photos from the final day of the beloved Lincoln Park shop capture a sliver of the community that Dave Crain’s passion for vinyl drew together. 8. [‘She was somebody to us’]( (Jan 2023) by [Katie Prout]( Drug-related deaths haunt the streets of Chicago, but overdose is not inevitable. [Issue of Dec. 15 - 27, 2023 Vol. 53, No.]( [VIEW/DOWNLOAD ISSUE (PDF)]( [View this e-mail as a web page]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2023 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616