Best of CU | Best News Outlet: The Daily Illini

By Lika Lezhava, Editor-in-Chief • March 28, 2024

James Hoeck

The Daily Illini’s 2023 editorial board on the Main Quad in front of Foellinger Auditorium on May 5.

Rankings:

« First Place »

The Daily Illini (61.1%)

« Second Place »

Smile Politely (18.3%)

« Third Place »

WCIA (7.8%)

The student publication that serves the University and Champaign-Urbana community with hard hitting, quality and up-to-date news on a daily basis is The Daily Illini.

The Daily Illini has evolved from a daily print publication to a monthly print publication, with around-the-clock news being published online and to social media.

The students who work for The DI have found a strong dedication to journalism and upholding the legacy of the 153-year-old publication.

The strength and drive of student journalism allows The DI to break stories and inform the public of what is happening around them. The surrounding community trusts The DI to cover and report on the news going on around them.

Anyone who has walked through the doors of the newsroom have left with everlasting memories, mastered skills and friends to last a lifetime, and anyone who reads the paper can agree that The Daily Illini is the best news outlet in C-U.

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About the Contributors

Lika Lezhava, Editor-in-Chief

My name is Lika Lezhava and I am a senior in advertising with a minor in journalism. This is my second year with The Daily Illini, and I am excited to continue the legacy of our beloved 154-year-old news source. I began working for The DI in my sophomore year as a news reporter and became an assistant news editor soon thereafter. Within the next couple of weeks, I became the news editor and spent two rewarding months in that role. Finally, I rose to the position of editor-in-chief. Although I’ve worked my way up rather quickly, I have been able to see and experience every moving part that goes into a successful news source. If you have any general questions, please call our office at (217) 337-8300. For personal inquiries, feel free to reach out to me through email at [email protected], or over the phone (217) 337-8365.

James Hoeck, Photo Editor

Heyo! I am James Hoeck, a third-year undergraduate student in photography with a minor in media. I have been a part of Illini Media for two years, starting back in fall 2021. I hold the position of Photo Editor here at The Daily Illini. I also work as Photo Editor for Illini Media’s Illio Yearbook. There is a good chance you will see me out and about on campus taking photos for my personal work or for The DI and/or Illio! If you want to check out more of my work, visit my socials linked below.