![Screenshot 2023-05-01 144438 Darren Bailey, a Trump-backed Republican, during his unsuccessful run for governor of Illinois last year. He was among the GOP candidates whose teams used a password-protected portal called Lumen to request coverage in a local news network. (Kate Munsch/Reuters)](https://demsforilhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-01-144438.jpg)
Inside a Private Portal from GOP Campaigns to Local News Sites
The top Republican campaigns in Illinois used a private online portal last year to request stories and shape coverage in a network of media outlets that present themselves as local newspapers, according to documents and people familiar with the setup.
Screenshots show that the password-protected portal, called Lumen, allowed users to pitch stories; provide interview subjects as well as questions; place announcements and submit op-eds to be “published verbatim” in any of about 30 sites that form part of the Illinois-focused media network, called Local Government Information Services.