About Bettina

Bettina Chang is the co-founder and co-executive director of City Bureau, a civic journalism lab focused on community engagement, participatory journalism and racial equity, where she oversees all programming in Chicago. She believes that journalism is a tool that, when wielded responsibly, can and should be used toward liberation, justice and self-determination. An editor by trade, she has enjoyed working across roles and mediums including trade magazines, traditional newspapers, digital audience strategy, product design, newsroom training, organizational development and nonprofit executive leadership. She is passionate about working with journalists of color to help them effect the change they want to see in the world.

As a City Bureau cofounder she won the 2018 Rising Star Award from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. In 2020 she presented a TEDx talk on “Maslow’s Pyramid, Fake News and the Future of Journalism.” Her editorial work at City Bureau has won awards in investigative journalism, community journalism and journalism innovation.

Previously, Bettina served as executive digital editor at Chicago magazine, where she led her team to win City Regional Magazine Awards (CRMAs) in the categories of Excellence Online, Online Column and Multiplatform Storytelling. She also served as news editor at DNAinfo Chicago and associate editor at Pacific Standard magazine. She has written about a diverse array of topics, from footwork and bail reform, to the Illinois state budget crisis, to how being a Chicago Cubs fan has impacted her psychological development (spoiler: a lot).

Bettina is a proud second-generation Taiwanese American, a Star Trek fan and a lifelong food enthusiast. She lives in Chicago’s Kenwood neighborhood with her partner Darryl and large-headed dog Wolly.

Awards & Milestones

  • 2017 -
  • 2016 - 
    • Chicago magazine wins CRMA award for Excellence Online; nominated for Multiplatform Storytelling
    • City Bureau wins Lisagor Award for Best In-Depth Reporting in a Community Newspaper for the "Living With Lead" project
    • City Bureau wins Sidney Award from the Sidney Hillman Foundation
  • 2015 - 
    • City Bureau wins Lisagor Award for Best Start-Up