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Matt Watson

@mattwatson.blue.bsky.social

Product leader at Chicago Public Media, helping build @chicago.suntimes.com and @WBEZ.org. Previously: Vox Media, SB Nation, AOL FanHouse (RIP), DBB. #GoBlue

850 Followers  |  1,122 Following  |  8 Posts  |  Joined: 20.11.2023  |  1.7816

Latest posts by mattwatson.blue on Bluesky

Hey they wrote a story about me!

chicago.suntimes.com/weather/2026...

23.01.2026 20:43 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Front page of today’s Chicago Sun-Times

Front page of today’s Chicago Sun-Times

We’ve covered lots of losing local teams on the back page of this paper.

But none with a record as bad as the Chicago DOJ during Operation Midway Blitz:

0 convictions

11 charges dropped

3 no-billed cases

1 jury acquittal

23.01.2026 20:23 β€” πŸ‘ 2259    πŸ” 682    πŸ’¬ 23    πŸ“Œ 35
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The Sun-Times Sports Sunday cover, featuring the Bears, whose miracle finish stuns the Packers in overtime, by @patfinley.bsky.social. trib.al/C3qjdju

21.12.2025 05:05 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Here's where to read the whole story by @dmihalopoulos.bsky.social and me, gorgeous photos by Anthony Vazquez and Candace Dane Chambers: chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdog...

13.12.2025 23:47 β€” πŸ‘ 24    πŸ” 20    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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Bryce Underwood hits the Paul Bunyan pose

26.10.2025 00:32 β€” πŸ‘ 137    πŸ” 12    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 4

β€œWe won’t save our business through short-term revenue solutions that alienate and fail to engage our audience.”

30.05.2025 00:52 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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These are the winners of the 48th Annual Peter Lisagor Awards - Chicago Headline Club The Chicago Headline Club congratulates all the winners of the 48th annual Peter Lisagor Awards for exemplary journalism. The awards were handed out May 9, 2025 at a gathering of more than 200 members...

Congrats to all my winning Chicago Public Media fam @wbez.org and @chicago.suntimes.com and to all the other esteemed colleagues at local news org who celebrated together last night headlineclub.org/2025/05/10/t...

10.05.2025 13:39 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
The front page of the Chicago Sun-Times, featuring the pope waving under the words "DA POPE!" Subheadline says, "Chicagoan Robert Prevost, known to many on the South Side as 'Father Bob' and now to millions as Pope Leo XIV, becomes first American pontiff. The best coverage of Chicago's pope, pages 2-10."

The front page of the Chicago Sun-Times, featuring the pope waving under the words "DA POPE!" Subheadline says, "Chicagoan Robert Prevost, known to many on the South Side as 'Father Bob' and now to millions as Pope Leo XIV, becomes first American pontiff. The best coverage of Chicago's pope, pages 2-10."

Today's front page.

09.05.2025 13:18 β€” πŸ‘ 10356    πŸ” 1669    πŸ’¬ 143    πŸ“Œ 168
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Chicago high school cheers White Sox fan Pope Leo XIV β€” 'He's one of us' While Robert Francis Prevost didn’t attend St. Rita of Cascia High School in Ashburn, his connection to the school runs deep. In the 1980s, he was a substitute and summer school teacher at the school ...

The Sun-Times got this gem: "The Rev. Robert Prevost (from left corner) ... at a 2005 White Sox World Series game at U.S. Cellular Field" chicago.suntimes.com/religion/202...

09.05.2025 02:07 β€” πŸ‘ 112    πŸ” 16    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 3

THE NBA IS BETTER WHEN THE PISTONS ARE GOOD

27.04.2025 18:54 β€” πŸ‘ 144    πŸ” 23    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 3
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A Community of Magic: An Ode to DBB An unforgettable evening 20 years in the making with the Detroit Bad Boys community

β€œWhen a loved one, someone who you deeply respect, admire, and care about, goes through cancer, you don’t half-ass it. You do everything you can to help them.”

I’m glad I got to learn about these Pistons fans’ beautiful friendship at DBB

www.detroitbadboys.com/2025/4/18/24...

18.04.2025 21:28 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Meet the Sun-Times and WBEZ Newsrooms in Uptown Join members of the Sun-Times and WBEZ newsrooms for one-on-one conversations about how we can improve our coverage of your neighborhood.

Chicago, come meet the newsrooms of the Sun-Times and WBEZ *TONIGHT* in Uptown! πŸŽ‰
We want to hear from you.
What do you like? Dislike? What do you need? What are your stories?
5 p.m. tonight at 935 W. Wilson Ave.

www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-the-s...

08.04.2025 19:01 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Hell yeah!

02.04.2025 17:24 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Sun-Times is losing some amazing journalists. They wouldn't want us to stop. The bad news: 35 staffers β€” including 23 in the newsroom β€” took a Chicago Public Media buyout and most are leaving today. But their sacrifice will help ensure the newspaper's future.

The bad news: 35 staffers β€” including 23 in the newsroom β€” took a Chicago Public Media buyout and most are leaving today, @neilsteinberg.bsky.social writes. But their sacrifice will help ensure the newspaper’s future.

21.03.2025 15:06 β€” πŸ‘ 21    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 2
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Yes, that’s Miss Huang on campus: Sarah Bock juggles β€˜Severance’ role, classes at Northwestern The freshman, who's getting recognized now in the college dining hall, promises a jaw-dropping season finale that premieres March 21.

So ... I interviewed Sarah Bock, aka Miss Huang on #Severance. The 18-year-old is currently studying theater at Northwestern University. Here is my story for @chicago.suntimes.com.

chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-t...

18.03.2025 16:58 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

chicago sun-times, block club, injustice watch, illinois answers project, wttw, wbez, south side weekly, the TRiiBE: all great places to spend/donate your money to get good, insightful reporting and commentary. in case you were wondering

26.02.2025 16:14 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

The ebook's also currently that price at Nook/Apple/Google/Payhip/etc, per sources

25.02.2025 00:02 β€” πŸ‘ 43    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 1

As I was grabbing Kindle and Apple Books versions (gotta collect β€˜em all) to complement my physical copy, I just realized you narrate the audiobook, as well β€” hope you don’t mind joining me on my commute this week.

25.02.2025 04:36 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Agreed, it’s very fun. I love movies that are both complex yet straightforward at the same time. It feels like too many movies try to be bigger than they need to be.

15.02.2025 06:38 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The @chicagoreader.com could use some love

10.02.2025 23:32 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Heat, Thief and Ernest Goes to Camp.

10.02.2025 23:20 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

βœ…

06.02.2025 22:50 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I'll have more to say once the dust has cleared and we can tell what's left of the Reader, but Dan's hard work is already missed.

I can't say how we got to where layoffs were necessary. I don't know. But any donation you can make will help us get through the crunch. donorbox.org/supportchica...

15.01.2025 17:58 β€” πŸ‘ 85    πŸ” 41    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 4
How AI Stole the ✨ Sparkles ✨ Emoji
YouTube video by David Imel How AI Stole the ✨ Sparkles ✨ Emoji

It’s such a fascinating trend. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend @davidimel.com’s video about it youtu.be/g-pG79LOtMw?...

03.01.2025 03:20 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Taking a moment to try and think of a team that has ever had a better Bad Season than Michigan just did. Best possible final two games, #1 recruit, still the reigning champ, etc

31.12.2024 20:37 β€” πŸ‘ 768    πŸ” 62    πŸ’¬ 25    πŸ“Œ 5

Hey hey! @wbez.org is here and so is Vocalo’s holiday playlist. Let’s goooohohoooo !

16.12.2024 16:28 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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This is who Chicagoans listened to the most in 2024, according to Spotify Taylor Swift snagged the top-streamed artist spot once again, but Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso" resounded as Chicago's No. 1 song.

Here's who's on Chicago's Spotify Wrapped: trib.al/v36O1k0

Who's on yours? Reply with your top artist and your response will be automatically added to the storyπŸ‘‡

04.12.2024 16:54 β€” πŸ‘ 42    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 16    πŸ“Œ 7

Right up there with Willie Burton

04.12.2024 21:28 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Remember Nuzzel? A similar news-aggregating tool now exists for Bluesky The creator of Sill says "the death of the link" has had disastrous consequences for journalism, art, and the web. His free social media tool entered public beta on Friday.

Holy shit I am so excited about this. And it works!!!

25.11.2024 19:12 β€” πŸ‘ 1129    πŸ” 184    πŸ’¬ 79    πŸ“Œ 42

@mattwatson.blue is following 20 prominent accounts