Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Statehouse press corps exodus continues

Posted in:

Illinois

* By my count, this makes seven exits since November…

JAMEY DUNN, the interim editor of Illinois Issues, is leaving her media job to become deputy director of communications for Comptroller SUSANA MENDOZA.

“She’s distinguished herself in her ability to analyze budget data and describe the impact on Illinois residents of state budget decisions,” said ABDON PALLASCH of Chicago, Mendoza’s director of communications who said he approached Dunn about the position. […]

Dunn said she wrote about state special funds some years ago, helping generate what has become a focus on budgetary issues.

Jamey is a darned good reporter.

The others who left are Ivan Moreno and Seth Perlman (AP), Kelsey Gibbs (WCIA), Ed Cross (WAND), Amanda Vinicky (WUIS) and Mike Riopell (Daily Herald).

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 12:32 pm

Comments

I nominate Jamey Dunn for the Golden Horseshoe

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 12:37 pm
Abdon is building a heck of a stable…

The more reporters leave, the better for Rauner’s vertical integration.

That, and that Democrats “enjoying” that they do nothing but send Enigma Coded “messages” in comments once and a while on a certain state-centric blog.

Mendoza isn’t very… good… at her job yet, but Abdon and his Shop can cover most sins now I’m guessing(?)

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 12:39 pm
Why is this news? Nobody trusts journalists anyway. You’re all biased and left.

Comment by Enod Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 12:40 pm
Going from a supposedly objective reporter to a paid political mouthpiece does little to boost the media’s sagging (existent?) reputation.

Comment by Deft Wing Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 12:49 pm
Does this trend have anything to do with journalists being treated like “lugenpresse”? Just wondering if that was a factor.

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 1:09 pm
This is happening at all levels of “journalism” in Illinois. There are a few big guys aligned with one political side or the other at the top, then pretty much a “donut hole” for mid level reporting. Local news is the worst hit. My locals like the Southtown, Star, and Regional used to be “must reads” to know what’s going on in local schools and municipalities, and they’d alert you if a tax increase, questionable spending, or something dirty was going on. Now they won’t even pay $20 for a student or stringer to cover a board meeting. Now they just publish press releases from pols. No reason to buy them anymore, or even read them on line….

Comment by Illinois Bob Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 1:10 pm
Rich - Any insight on if there’s anything pushing this or is at all just timing?

Comment by NIU Grad Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 1:16 pm
@ NIU

I don’t think anything is connected. Jamye and and Ed are the only one’s leaving to work inside the state. The others are moving on to what look like better jobs or at least better jobs for them and Seth got caught up in what many of us have - end of the year layoffs.

The short of it is I’m amazed that some people stay as long as they do on the beat. The money is not good, the hours can be rough and anymore the people you have to deal with don’t make it as fun.

Good reporters have a skill set that allows them to do more than reporting and after awhile some want to make more money or find a different mountain to climb. No one that list would ever have to defend their credibility and yes you can be credible and still leave and do something else. Always amazes me that reporters are these people who can never the leave the job because of ethics or whatever.

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 1:53 pm
what’s moving this disaster is the lack of profitability in the newspaper business. if you don’t make money, you can’t hire reporters and have to cut the staff you do have. it’s all economics. the newspaper industry, which I love, is basically dying, and we’ll all be the poorer for it.

Comment by jim Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 1:54 pm
I still miss the spin sisters!

Comment by Porgy Tirebiter Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 1:56 pm
What jim said.

Comment by up2now Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 2:43 pm
FYI- Ed Cross is actually WAND TV

Comment by MegaScribbler Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 3:41 pm
this has been going on for years whaqts the big deal…hopefully replacements become skilled objective reporters.

Comment by the Cardinal Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 4:25 pm
Cardinal, what “replacements”?
That’s the problem.

A couple — if not more — of those jobs probably won’t be filled, or the statehouse duties will simply be added to another existing employee.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 4:36 pm
Illinois Bob — you can’t get a decent stringer to cover a meeting for $20. Those things can take hours — and that doesn’t include follow-up reporting or writing the actual story.

You can’t just throw a student into a meeting and expect him/her to do a competent job. Local government isn’t so simple, and you need to know who the players are.

This is the problem — people don’t value the work that good journalists do. So why are we surprised when they decide to chuck it and bring their exceptional skills and extensive knowledge base to some other calling?

Comment by Soccermom Thursday, Jan 5, 17 @ 6:58 pm