Chicago - A message from the station manager

The [Monday] Papers

By Steve Rhodes

“General-election polls show that voters trust Donald Trump more than Hillary Clinton on the economy, and her campaign has been told by donors and advisers that she must strip down her message,” the Washington Post reports.
That may be true, but what do donors know about it? Taking their advice strikes me as the bigger problem – but emblematic of the Clinton style that has helped to sow so much distrust in the first place.


Freedom (From Police) Square
“Activists re-imagine a world without police misconduct at a sit-in across the street from Homan Square, the Chicago Police facility infamous for allegations of illegal interrogations,” the Chicago Reporter reports.
No. Those activists seek a world without police (and prisons). Period. Let’s not soft-pedal the demand because of its absurdity, no matter how sympathetic we may be to the general thrust of their humanitarian goals.
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I’m all for re-imagining how the police do their job, but I wouldn’t want to live in a world without them. Sorry.
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FYI: The Blue Lives Matter ordinance appears to be off the table for the summer.
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Here’s another look at Freedom Square:

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See also this Tribune report by Dawn Rhodes (no relation).
Preckwinkle And The President
First, I agree with Rich Miller of the Capitol Fax Blog that the media’s speculation about Toni Preckwinkle’s political future because she sat next to Bill Clinton at one point during the Democratic National Convention was “downright bizarre,” albeit typically so.
Second, I don’t believe Sun-Times columnist Laura Washington’s characterization – in a column about the seating arrangement – of the Chicago media as “cynical, always spinning” is apt, except insofar as “cynicism is what passes as insight among the mediocre.” It’s more about Chicago political reporters and pundits being more interested in gossipy parlor games than speculation-free reporting.
Third, I did not know Toni Preckwinkle had, as Washington writes, a “trademark giggle.” I’d say that means it’s less than “trademark.” (Sources close to Google found no previous instances of Preckwinkle giggling; to the contrary, she’s usually described as lacking giggly qualities.)
Fourth, I found it odd – but noteworthy – that Washington described commentary about Preckwinkle’s seating as coming from news organizations, instead of the actual individuals doing the “cynical spinning.” Was she afraid to name names – or perhaps extending a professional courtesy to public figures who hardly deserve “protection” from public statements they are paid to make?
To wit:

Back home, the forever cynical, always spinning news media was in overdrive. The Daily Herald proclaimed: “Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle set tongues wagging Monday when she appeared next to former President Bill Clinton during a key, prime-time moment of the Democratic National Convention’s opening night festivities.”
“Mayor (Rahm) Emanuel upstaged by Toni Preckwinkle at DNC?” queried WGNtv.com. “And sitting to the left of former President Bill Clinton last night? Cook County Board President, Toni Preckwinkle, looking rather cozy.”
“Did Bill Clinton just tell Toni Preckwinkle that Chicago is hers?” the Chicago Tribune trumpeted.

That first comment didn’t come from the Daily Herald as an institution but from political editor Mike Riopell. (I’ll link to the work in question since she didn’t!)
The second comment didn’t come from WGN-TV’s website, but from midday anchor Courtney Gousman.
And the third comment didn’t come from Mighty Mother Tribune, but from a fairly well-known columnist there named John Kass.
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Note: When I started this site 11 years ago, I decided I would use the names of the reporters whose articles I referred to, because that’s what we do in journalism, and our peers and colleagues ought not get special consideration. In some cases, I do refer to a news organization, such as “the Tribune reports,” because I know that sometimes editors are to blame (or praise) for what appears under a reporter’s name – and that the material a news organization produces is truly a team effort (and published as a product of the newsroom). I make that decision on a case-by-case basis; e.g., the unrestrained Fran Spielman has an unmistakable style of journalistic malpractice that can be safely attributed to her, even if her editors are guilty of allowing it.
That principle certainly doesn’t apply here. Washington should have named names (and provided links). And her editor, presuming she has one, should have seen to that.
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SportsMonday: We All Blacked Out, Jon
Maddon the Magician is the Greatest Show On Earth.
The Cub Factor: Joe’s Army Knife
Maddon has all the gadgets working on his Cub army knife – even the tweezers and saw blade.
The White Sox Report: It’s Tilson Time!
With the season lost, why not?
Pie’s Olympics
Back to the future past.
The Weekend In Chicago Rock
Is in production.
Beachwood Sports Radio
Aroldis Chapman putting the K back in the Kubs already.
Epic PR fail reminiscent of bad old days. Plus: Tommy Boy LaStella To Sell His Brake Pads In Des Moines; The Adam Warren Commission; Chris The Tank Engine; The Bears Are Already Grinding Coach Coffman’s Gears; and Olympic Gamesmanship.
Beachwood Photo Booth
You say you want Revolution Books.
Fantasy Fix Draft Guide Pt. 1
Ex-Bears abound.
Set It And Forget It
How default settings rule the world.
Does Practice Make An Olympian? No
Malcolm Gladwell was wrong, as usual.
At The Top Of A Supremely Tasty Pipe
In TrackNotes.
Leak: DNC Aimed To Quash Reporters’ Questions Over Sleazy HRC Fundraising Scheme
Obama’s hand-picked nominee tried to hide a money-laundering scheme, pure and simple.
Corporate Democrats Have Always Hated The Left – Now They’re Shocked To Learn The Left Hates Them Back
All is not well.
The Week In Chicago Rock
Featuring: Alvvays, Ought, Drake, Jane’s Addiction, M83, NeObliviscaris, Black Crown Initiate, Potions, ADT, Mekaal Hasan Band, The Bourne Identity, The Last Shadow Puppets, Daughter, Hog MaGundy, Kris Kristofferson, Collective Soul, Goo Goo Dolls, John Primer, Diana Ross, Bastille, Major Lazer, alonXoTheRebel, Ted Nugent, Red Plastic Buddha, Acceptance, Sykes, Whitechapel, Veils of Maya, Oceans Ate Alaska, Tonight Alive, Chelsea Grin, Sleeping With Sirens, The Interrupters, Reel Big Fish, Ice Nine Kills, From Ashes To New, State Champs, Less Than Jake, New Found Glory, The Color Morale, Sum 41, Yellowcard, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, Good Charlotte, Marilyn Manson, Disturbed, Deafheaven, and Bullet For My Valentine.
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BeachBook
The Top 10 PR Tactics Reporters Hate The Most.

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Meet Billy Lawless.

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Yeah, the Internet is better.

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States’ Flag-Burning Laws Unconstitutional, But Persist.

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Execs Rolling In Dough While Athletes On Food Stamps.

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Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday! Illinois Locations Suddenly Close.

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Yeah, there’s a bunch more over there. This is what happens when you don’t write a column for a few days.
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TweetWood
A sampling.


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Media loves a good fairy tale.


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Yeah, there’s a bunch more you should look at.
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The Beachwood Tronc Line: Loyal opposition.

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Posted on August 1, 2016