Chicago Reporters Blow Whistle On Mayor Lightfoot, Say She’s Only Giving Interviews To ‘Black or Brown’ Reporters To Mark 2 Years In Office
Reporters out of Chicago are blowing the whistle on embattled Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot over a new interview policy she has for local media. Lightfoot is nearing two years in office and despite the terrible track record, an interview to mark the two-year anniversary is in hot demand.
Most don’t believe Lightfoot stands a chance to keep her job and this new policy only giving 1 on 1 interviews to ‘black or brown journalists’ surely won’t help. NBC 5 Chicago political reporter Mary Ann Ahern took to Twitter to blow the whistle after she was not given an interview to mark the “midway point” of Lightfoot’s first term.
“As @chicagosmayor reaches her two year midway point as mayor, her spokeswoman says Lightfoot is granting 1 on 1 interviews – only to Black or Brown journalists,” Ahern said.
Other reporters quickly confirmed the news.
“I was told the same thing,” WTTW Chicago Tonight anchor and correspondent Paris Schutz said.
“I can confirm,” Chicago politics reporter Heather Cherone said.
“It’s a shame that in 2021, the City Hall press corps is overwhelmingly White in a city where more than half of the city identifies as Black, Latino, AAPI or Native American,” Lightfoot wrote on Wednesday.
“Diversity and inclusion is imperative across all institutions including media. In order to progress we must change.”
She added, “This is exactly why I’m being intentional about prioritizing media requests from POC reporters on the occasion of the two-year anniversary of my inauguration as mayor of this great city.
“This is an imbalance that needs to change. Chicago is a world-class city. Our local media should reflect the multiple cultures that comprise it.
“It’s time for the newsrooms to do better and build teams that reflect the make-up of our city,” she said.
As @chicagosmayor reaches her two year midway point as mayor, her spokeswoman says Lightfoot is granting 1 on 1 interviews – only to Black or Brown journalists pic.twitter.com/PAUsacD9Gj
— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) May 18, 2021
I was told the same thing.
— Paris Schutz (@paschutz) May 18, 2021
Read full thread from @chicagosmayor on her decision to prioritize reporters of color for interviews on her 2-year inauguration anniversary. https://t.co/8GhdhRZI9W
— Becky Vevea (@beckyvevea) May 19, 2021
This is exactly why I'm being intentional about prioritizing media requests from POC reporters on the occasion of the two-year anniversary of my inauguration as mayor of this great city.
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) May 19, 2021