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* Bernie reports that the US Supreme Court has refused to heal an appeal filed by the Illinois Policy Institute over the refusal of legislative leaders to grant the institute’s reporters access to the chambers’ press boxes…
“We are disappointed that the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear our case,” [executive editor of the Illinois News Network Scott Reeder] said. “The only question considered by any judge in this matter was whether a legislative leader’s decision on denying press credentials can be challenged in court. Unfortunately, an appellate court ruled legislative leaders are immune from such lawsuits. The court’s ruling leaves news organizations of all stripes vulnerable to retaliation and discrimination by elected officials. This may well have a chilling effect on coverage of American statehouses.”
Not so, said RIKEESHA PHELON, spokeswoman for Senate President JOHN CULLERTON, D-Chicago.
“We have made no judgment about independent news organizations,” Phelon said. “But court rulings now confirm that our decision to ban thinly veiled lobbying organizations from the Senate floor is appropriate.”
In the appellate ruling, the court stated that though the Illinois Policy Institute is no longer a lobbying group because it formed a new entity — Illinois Policy Action, which does have staffers listed as lobbyists — there was no real difference.
“The IPI is plainly an advocacy organization, and even though it did not register as a lobbyist in 2014, both the House and Senate determined it should have,” the appellate court decision said.
I’m a hardcore 1st Amendment guy and I use INN stuff here on occasion, but the Supremes were right. I don’t think courts should be meddling with which non-legislators can and can’t have access to a legislative floor.
Plus, if the Illinois Policy Institute had succeeded, any lobbying entity could then hire a “reporter” and set up a “news service” and demand media credentials. Not good.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:17 am
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Too bad the courts saw through the sham “news service” IPI created.
Demoralized, the money for the sham jar is in the mail.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:20 am
There go those activist Supreme Court judges again, making law. s/
Comment by Sir Reel Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:23 am
===Plus, if the Illinois Policy Institute had succeeded, any lobbying entity could then hire a “reporter” and set up a “news service” and demand media credentials. Not good.===
You are 100% correct. I was already thinking about who we could hire to be our Springfield hack. And it would have been a former lobbyist not a reporter.
Comment by Been There Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:26 am
Looks like Republican activists will just have to stick to the tried and true buying of distressed mainstream news outlets and installing hacks to push their causes while pressuring out any independent journalists… just like Rauner did with the Sun-Times.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:33 am
That solves that problem. Now, about those thinly veiled “news services” that are in reality advocacy organizations……
Comment by BigBen Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:33 am
Just curious, but has anyone ever actually read any of Mark Fitton’s articles?! I don’t really think they’re slanted one way or the other.
Scott Reeder’s columns are a different story.
Comment by Team Sleep Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:36 am
I agree, TS. On both counts. lol
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:40 am
Fitton is a pretty darn good writer and journalist. I got to know him a bit when he was with The Southern.
Comment by Team Sleep Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:45 am
For crying out loud, they’re lobbyists. They take money to advance an agenda via propaganda. They gave money to the governor’s inauguration shindig.
They have a nice grift going, they’re not First Amendment martyrs.
Comment by Wordslinger Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 10:50 am
=they’re not First Amendment martyrs.=
Says you! Lol. I don’t think anyone told them that yet though.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 11:10 am
Wonder why Team Sleep keeps promoting Fitton. Not a bad guy….but hard to page through the Rauner funded, dark money lobos web site and find a piece about the TeamBungle budget disruptions are all self inflicted wounds.
Good to see this wrapped up the BGA has been holding their breath on this hoping they gain a little credibility too.
Comment by Anonin' Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 11:10 am
Just curious, from a practical perspective, what is the difference between getting the credentials and not? Honest question, they still manage to get out a lot of pieces.
Comment by The Way I See It Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 11:22 am
Interesting to note: the IPI isn’t the only group playing the lobbyist/journalist game. The Better Government Association does, too. I don’t think the BGA has applied for capitol press credentials, but they are registered lobbyists, they raise funds from political entities, and they provide free “news” to Illinois media outlets — just like the IPI.
At least when a newspaper runs a Scott Reeder piece it usually comes with a thread of disclosure in the form of a disclaimer that describes the Illinois Policy Institute. Chicago media outlets should run a similar disclosure statement when they use BGA provided stories, but they don’t. Journalistic ethics are being sacrificed by budget-cutting news shops that are desperate for free or cheap content.
Comment by LTR Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 12:00 pm
What’s going to be a more interesting case about reporters / news media status is the Springfield IL Exposed one over FOIA requests and the proper status of the requester.
Comment by RNUG Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 12:51 pm
RNUG - thanks for the tip. I follow/like Springfield Exposed on Facebook but their write-up on the site (http://springfieldilexposed.com/the-state-journal-register-article-our-opinion) is pretty interesting.
Comment by Team Sleep Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 1:04 pm
- Team Sleep -
Don’t really follow them. I caught the SJ-R article in the paper this morning. Raises an interesting question about what / who is media today.
Comment by RNUG Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 1:13 pm
The press box is only so big…
Comment by Mouthy Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 2:08 pm
The US SUPREME COURT, IPI? Seriously?
The court’s ruling leaves news organizations of all stripes vulnerable to retaliation and discrimination by elected officials. This may well have a chilling effect on coverage of American statehouses.
How self important can they be? They are an advocacy/propaganda group, pushing a particular point of view, under the guise of being a news organization. You dont get the privileges the real folks do. Btw, the clerks had a good laugh over your appeal.
Comment by Langhorne Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 5:00 pm
The IPI posts biased and heavily slanted stories on its Facebook page.
If you disagree with their perspective and offer an opposing view point with sources in the comments section you will soon be blocked from making any further comments on their posts.
No freedom of speech at the IPI, but that’s what the Koch brothers and Bruce Rauner want and paid for isn’t it?
Comment by Chicago 20 Thursday, Oct 8, 15 @ 5:29 pm
When IPI stuff is put up on the CNN website, CNN labels it a “promoted story”, meaning IPI pays to have it placed. IPI obviously pays to be published in newspapers throughout Illinois, but, unfortunately, many of the papers are not forthright and pass Reeder off as a journalist. Those papers need to be called out.
Comment by ottawa otter Friday, Oct 9, 15 @ 6:52 am