New year brings new — and first — employee to The Record North Shore

The Record is headed in the right direction to start the new year, welcoming a new addition to its newsroom.

Ryan Osborn, of Winnetka, has joined The Record as director of development and the first new full-time employee for The Record since it launched in 2020.

In the position, Osborn will lead fundraising efforts, working with the editor in chief and board of directors, as The Record continues its path toward sustainability and growth. Osborn is, among other things, in charge of developing an annual funding strategy, collaborating with the business community, and organizing and growing Record events, such as its annual golf outing.

From The Record’s initial Kickstarter campaign in 2020, Osborn has been an early and proud supporter of our mission.

“Now more than ever local news serves a critical function in our society,” Osborn said. “I’m thrilled to work with (Editor in Chief Joe Coughlin) to grow a sustainable business that serves my neighbors with trusted information for years to come.”

The Record is a nonprofit and digital community newsroom that launched in 2020 to restore vital local reporting following the closure of several suburban newspapers. It covers the five communities in New Trier Township and Highland Park.

The Record relies on revenue from its readers and local businesses to power its mission: to produce and publish credible, courageous and community-first reporting on a daily website and regular weekly newsletters. The Record‘s goal is to build a reliable and sustainable community newsroom that enables a better informed populace and a more understanding generation of news consumers.

“We are thrilled to have Ryan aboard,” Coughlin said. “His expertise and passion are assets to the community, not just The Record.

“It is an exciting time at The Record, and Ryan will surely keep that rolling and help us reach new heights.”

Osborn has lived in Winnetka with his wife, Lauren, and three children since 2016. His previous experience includes work with the Washington Post and NBC News, and he is an active member of the Chicago technology start-up community. 

If you’re also passionate about supporting local news or if you’re a local business looking to reach The Record’s engaged and growing community of readers, reach out to Ryan Osborn at ryan@threcordns.org.

The Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism.

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