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Wanted: More Advocate Journalism
By JOHN F. KUCZAJ
Two issues came up last week that made me wish our news organizations were more aggressive and enterprising in their special reporting. I'm talking specifically about advocate journalism in the style of the Sun-Times' "Why Are They Driving?". In "Why Are They Driving?", the Sun-Times exposed the irony of people with suspended licenses driving to their traffic court appearances. When no one in government really seemed to care, the paper turned advocate by relentlessly continuing the story until people were finally arrested and a tough forfeiture law was enacted.
I like that.
Too often, news organizations forget their roots as the voice of the everyperson. When they do that, elitism seeps into their coverage and they lose an important connection with the average viewer.
Steve Neal wrote two great columns (July 29 & Aug 14) about the change in election petition rules that makes it impossible for the average citizen to run for citywide office in Chicago. That makes me mad. I'm getting really tired of career politicians who complicate the democratic system making it tougher and tougher for anyone to challenge their cushy jobs. This is a major story and should make everyone mad, but it's not getting much play. Why? Are people just so disillusioned with politics that they feel powerless? Maybe the story's not sexy enough? I wonder if people would pay more attention if the banner headline were: "Politicians Rape Challengers!" That's how I see it-- a heinous act of powerful people victimizing the powerless. It would be nice if one of our local news organizations would make this a big issue and crusade on behalf of the underdog. Actually the fact that Neal wrote about the issue twice in the Mayor Daley-friendly Sun-Times is quite a feat, yet it's not surprising that the paper dares not pursue the issue for fear of ticking off the Chicago Political Machine.
Speaking about Daley's Machine, Walter Jacobson had an interesting Perspective on August 13th. It was about a Home Depot planned for the Addison & Kimball area despite horrendous traffic problems that already exist and enormous residential opposition. Apparently, the Alderman gives lip service to his constituents while allowing the project to proceed despite city planners who also oppose the project. I sent Walter a note via the crappy Channel 32 web site (can't tell if he ever got it) pointing out that Home Depot apparently has a lot of clout as they are trying to drop their big box in my neighborhood of Harlem & Irving. Alderman Tom Allen is also ignoring the protests of the community and allowing the project to proceed. This past weekend I even noticed a Home Depot being shoe-horned into a lot on Halsted near Diversey.
So, what's the deal?
Walter came back the next day and spelled it out--Home Depot's got a Daley-friendly contractor to represent them as well as the Mayor's brother as their lawyer.
Sweet.
Not much has been said about Home Depot since those two Perspectives, and I don't think any other news outlet picked up on it. Once again we have a story that the Sun-Times won't touch because they're in love with the mayor meanwhile, unless Channel 32 pounds the story consistently, no one in the electronic media will bother with it. More proof that "Channel 2 Works for You" is nothing more than a wispy buzzword. God forbid they actually do something meaningful.
Two political issues involving the big political machine screwing the average citizen and it doesn't appear as if the news media will affect a change.
If there's any crime here, that's it.
WFLD NewsChannel 32
By VINCE Z.
Wouldn't it be cool to see the first public station to have an all news channel other than cable CLTV. Fox could pull it off. Move all of their somewhat good programming during the day to WPWR 50 and launch news all day on Fox 32. I could see it now, Darlene Hill and a person to be announced to anchor the morning news from 5am-9am. Then Nancy Lau steps in and takes a look around Chicagoland from 9am-12pm. 12pm-4pm Nancy Pender steps in for a recap of all headlines. From 4pm-9pm Robin Robinson and David Kerley step in. Yes I said David Kerley!! (He was wasting his time at Channel 2 anyways) From 9pm-12am Mark Suppelsa and Walter Jacobson finish up the night.
THIS COULD WORK!
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