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  A look inside Deep Tunnel, in times of flooding

  Blog

  Chicago’s Deep Tunnel is a massive underground tunnel system that helps protect the region from flooding and wastewater. Beginning in 1975, two generations of workers have helped to build this 100-mile system of tunnels that is not scheduled to be fully completed until 2029. With the rash of flooding currently happening across the country, we’re reminded of the direct consequences of global warming. As rain and flood patterns change, these tunnels will be crucial for managing excess water. As the […]

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  Guerrilla Television: Video Vitae by Pat Lehman

  Blog

  An ongoing series reflecting on our favorite videos from the Resurrecting Guerrilla Television project.

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  Equal Rights Amendment: 100 Years of Fighting for Equality

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  Despite being first proposed 100 years ago, the Equal Rights Amendment has yet to be ratified — why?

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  Thunder and Reins: Kentucky Derby Jockeys

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  Tomorrow, May 6th, is Derby Day, the 149th annual running of Kentucky Derby.  “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,” is always the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The Derby boasts the highest attendance of any stakes race in North America (~200,000).  The winner’s purse is a record $3 million. Many fans and participants overlook the importance of the jockey in winning the Derby. Their precise handling of the horse, their dynamic direction work and strategy […]

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  Remembering Jerry Springer (1944-2023)

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  Longtime talk show host Jerry Springer passed away last Thursday, marking the end of a 35-year-long career in the TV industry.  Springer gained widespread notoriety through his talk show, which aired from 1991 to 2018. The show’s unconventional content and guests were controversial, and some criticized it for exploiting vulnerable individuals. Despite this, The Jerry Springer Show had a significant impact on television and popular culture, inspiring a wave of reality TV and talk shows, such as The Steve Wilkos Show, that also […]

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  Earth Day 2023: Remembering the Bell Bowl Prairie

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  On March 9th, the historic Bell Bowl Prairie of Rockford, Illinois was demolished, following an 18-month fight to save one of the “best-preserved prairies in northern Illinois.” Just days before, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) granted permission to the Greater Rockford Airport Authority (GRAA) to break ground and proceed with the expansion of the Chicago Rockford International Airport. The nearly 5-acre, high-quality, dry gravel prairie that sat on the property of the Rockford Airpot was home to many federally endangered […]

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  Apply for a grant to digitize your home movies!

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  Media Burn is thrilled to announce that we are now a sponsor of the The Al Larvick Conservation Fund (ALCF or “The Fund”), which operates a grant program for the conservation of home and amateur audiovisual materials  Grants are open to individuals, institutions, and organizations. Thanks to this new collaborative effort, the Al Larvick Fund and Media Burn Archive can offer archival level videotape digitization services to the Fund’s grant recipients. Apply by May 29th! The Al Larvick Conservation Fund’s […]

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  A personal take on the 1996 DNC

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  Today it was announced that Chicago has been selected by President Joe Biden as the site of the next Democratic National Convention, in 2024. Today, we’re featuring a story that has little to do with politics or politicians and everything to do with the lived experiences of ordinary people. A message from Tom Weinberg August, 1996.  Democratic National Convention. Chicago redux. United Center. Our task: Find and interview somebody in that environment who didn’t vote, to be featured in our […]