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What in the heck?

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Illinois

* From a story entitled “Rauner talks education funding in Rockford, not questioned by reporters there”…

At a school in Rockford Wednesday morning, Rauner fielded questions from an audience of school children. One question concerned Illinois’ crime problem.

“For young people not to be drawn into the gang life, it’s very important that we help every young person see that they can have a great education, and have every school in every community have the proper support, so teachers can really be properly helped to help every student,” Rauner said. “And we need every young person to see a good future for themselves so being drawn into a gang is not very appealing.”

While the governor complimented the children on their tough questions, suggesting they have a future in journalism, the real reporters were given an opportunity to question the governor and declined.

Rauner would not have gone unchallenged in Chicago or Springfield. [Emphasis added.]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen that happen or heard of it happening anywhere. No questions?

* Raw audio…

Click to listen

“And with that, I’ll open it up to questions,” the governor says at the end. “Anybody have questions? No? That’s good? OK.”

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 3:59 pm

Comments

I had to read that three times to make sure I understood It correctly. Was this visit right before lunch?

Further proof that our state government coverage is weak everywhere but here.

Comment by Not It Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:03 pm
To be fair, Rich, we’re probably just missing out on some “crack” reporting like the Pantagraph had last week on Senate Majority Speaker Tom Cullerton.

Comment by cover Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:03 pm
That’s flabbergasting. How do these reporters not get fired?

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:05 pm
Perhaps we need a new term to replace “Reporter.” Transcriber?

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:08 pm
Perhaps we need a new term to replace “Reporter.” Transcriber?

In Rockford you just wait for CK to send you the story. She is better than probably anyone in the media there.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:10 pm
Kill me.

Comment by Roman Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:13 pm
Was it all TV reporters on hand? They might just be looking for B-Roll

Comment by NIU Grad Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:15 pm
This is a better result than Rauner’s Vertical Integration.

Watch out Proft, be careful IPI, be weary INN, Rauner may not need y’all… after all.

I’m embarrassed for the lot of them there.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:19 pm
face palm

Comment by Saluki Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:22 pm
I had a similar experience in another part of the state yesterday. The level of reportage in this state and in our local communities is depressingly inadequate and unprofessional.

Comment by Mister Whipple Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:25 pm
This is a city of 150,000 people, for crying out loud. Many, many legit local news outlets. The Register-Star. WREX and WTVO TV. WIFR, WROK and WNIU radio.

No questions.

(stares into the abyss)

Comment by Reality Check Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:26 pm
Reporters?

Sound more like Repeaters!

Comment by WhoKnew2 Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:26 pm
As a retired teacher, I have a little different take. I would like to think the reporters thought this was an inappropriate setting to grill Big Brain. I wonder how many had bloody tongues at the end of it.

Comment by wondering Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:29 pm
– I had a similar experience in another part of the state yesterday. The level of reportage in this state and in our local communities is depressingly inadequate and unprofessional. –

And the blame for that belongs on?

Comment by Now a Hoosier Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:35 pm
– I would like to think the reporters thought this was an inappropriate setting to grill Big Brain.–

Please. The governor asked for questions. What could possibly have been inappropriate about the setting, anyway? It was a school, not a funeral service.

No reporter asked a single question. I don’t think he was in for a “grilling” from that crew, who all should be grilling burgers tomorrow.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:38 pm
wondering - I get what you are saying but a decent reporter should have been able to at least frame a question in a way that it was appropriate for the audience.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:40 pm
Hey, it’s a reporter’s job to report, ok? Maybe no questioners were there to question, ya know? I mean it’s not like Madigan, the guy that’s caused this whole mess, that’s been so frustrating to our governor was there or anything. Jeez, some people just can not be appeased! /s

Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:41 pm
“I would like to think the reporters thought this was an inappropriate setting to grill Big Brain.”

There’s never an inappropriate setting to grill any politician, including a school.

Comment by Nick Name Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:48 pm
I see the title “contact reporter” being used nowadays. I wasn’t sure what it meant. From this incident, I guess it means all you do is have contact with the subject of the news event.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:50 pm
Man, I said something like this last time there was a post about this in Rockford and someone got after me about it, but ‘journalism’ in Rockford is hard to find. As someone from that city, I can’t remember the last time a reporter was combative (even respectfully) to a politician or other type of “leader.” If the person who criticized my view on this last time is here, please show me one.

Comment by Rockford's Finest Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:53 pm
I can’t imagine that Sweeney was there - he’d never let that pass.

Comment by Lt Guv Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 5:21 pm
== And the blame for that belongs on? ==

The internet, which has killed newspapers. Corporate media, which hires bubble-headed t.v. reporters (both male and female) based on how they look and how well they read a TelePrompTer - not on their journalism skills.

Comment by Roman Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 5:27 pm
== And the blame for that belongs on? ==

The reporters who did not ask questions, even after they were invited to do so, obviously.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 5:39 pm
I am also a retired teacher and I agree with “wondering” @ 4:29 pm. It would be hard for a reporter to ask a substantial, yet understandable, question that would also yield an easy-to-follow answer. As a reporter, I probably would have lobbed a softball question about his dog.

Comment by Dome Gnome Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 5:55 pm
It’s the kind of silence normally reserved for a seconding motion on Drury for Speaker.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 5:56 pm
–It would be hard for a reporter to ask a substantial, yet understandable, question that would also yield an easy-to-follow answer–

Did you read the thread at all? The kids asked questions about crime. The governor talked about gangs.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 5:58 pm
when in Rockford… so the reporters at the Statehouse are dropping off, now they don’t even want to ask Gov or government questions in other cities when he’s right there? even if their readers don’t care they should still care.

Comment by baloneymous Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 6:25 pm
Maybe they couldn’t come up with any questions that were better than the kids’.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 6:40 pm
I’d like to take this moment to congratulate the governor on his reelection.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 7:10 pm
– == And the blame for that belongs on? ==

The reporters who did not ask questions, even after they were invited to do so, obviously. –

OK, my point was obviously poorly made, entirely missed or both.
The statement I was referring to was the second sentence of this insight: “I had a similar experience in another part of the state yesterday. The level of reportage in this state and in our local communities is depressingly inadequate and unprofessional.”
I would submit the “level of reportage” has declined because newspaper owners have not only allowed it to, but led the way in the decimation of the ranks.
How many reporters did, for instance, papers like the PJS and SJR employ in pre-Gatehouse days? How many in Springfield alone?
The process has gone something like this: Offload your copy desks; cut your line editor positions; cut back on number of reporters; offload the most expensive (experienced) reporters first.
Anyone who’d like to pin this solely on the sad few remaining behind isn’t to willing pull back the curtain very far.
There was a time when a paper the size of Rockford, Springfield or Peoria would have had a dozen local (city) reporters, a couple in Springfield and a couple on the business desk…and “features” or “Sundays” and such had its own staffs.
Cut the gross number by half or three-quarters and eliminate a step of quality control, how do you think quality will be affected among those remaining?
Example: How is it the other day no one in a position to catch it at the ‘Graph the other day didn’t know Tom Cullerton from John Cullerton or the president of the Senate from the “majority speaker,” whatever the heck the latter is.
It’s not entirely happenstance that people with the stature of Lawrence or O’Connell, Eckert or Erickson are missing these days.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 7:15 pm
Seems the “Opposition Party” is sharpening their knives in Rockford.

Comment by Carharrt Union Negotiating Team Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 7:42 pm
I was just thinking, this proves how much easier it is to be governor than it is mayor of Chicago. With the shrinking state house press corps, there are very few reporters who cover the governor on a regular basis and know anything about state government. Meanwhile, Rahm can’t turn a corner without a relatively aggressive reporter sticking a mic in his face.

I’m no fan of Rahm’s, I’m just telling you, I’ve watch the City Hall press corps question Rahm (and Daley) and it’s a much rougher ride than the governor gets.

Comment by Phil Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 8:06 pm
Rich, I’m sorry but this must be “Fake News”!

To the post, the fact that the media from the 3rd largest city in Illinois did not ask any questions relative to the topic or otherwise is simply lame!

Comment by XDNR Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 9:29 pm
Rauner has a well known reputation for those who question is authority….. do different than the Liberal Left, but in Rauner’s case, “it’s off with their head!”

No wonder there were no questions!

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 11:07 pm
When he tells tronic that he is disappointed in them, no news media wants that problem

Comment by Rabid Friday, Feb 3, 17 @ 4:16 am
It’s beginning the govenor is becoming more irrelevant every day

Comment by Rabid Friday, Feb 3, 17 @ 4:34 am
Word come down from the top “don’t upset our future revenues”

Comment by Rabid Friday, Feb 3, 17 @ 4:42 am
Maybe they should send a list of suggested questions with their press releases too

Comment by Rabid Friday, Feb 3, 17 @ 4:49 am
Rockford is a turnaround agenda town

Comment by Rabid Friday, Feb 3, 17 @ 4:51 am
What’s the outrage exactly? We all know what he is going to say. He says the same thing every time he talks. “We are changin things! We want a balanced budget with reforms. I don’t care what those reforms are we just need some. I am flexible. Madigan is the problem.” He has said the exact same thing for the two years he has been in office and the one year he was “campaignin”. Why egg him on with more questions he gives the same answers to.

Comment by Longsummer Friday, Feb 3, 17 @ 7:24 am
I don’t look at it as the reporters missing an opportunity to pin Rauner down or challenge any of his statements or policies (OK, it is). I see it as a missed opportunity to get Rauner to talk about issues important locally to Rockford to get him on record about them or to just emphasize the importance to Rockford. Any state facilities in Rockford or educational institutions to ask about their futures and emphasis their importance for the area economy? Andy potential casinos for their area? Even a softball about creating jobs for these kids in Rockford when they grow up. The more I think about it the bigger the miss it is.

Comment by Earnest Friday, Feb 3, 17 @ 7:45 am
Maybe a time and a place. Maybe most news outlets had interviews set up with him one on one like the newspaper. Like- Gov. Bruce Rauner visits the Rockford Register Star Editorial Board for a wide ranging talk on the issues

Comment by Arock Friday, Feb 3, 17 @ 8:27 am
I long for the days when journalism told us what we NEEDED to hear rather than what we WANTED to hear.

Rockford’s unemployment rate is a percentage point higher than the state, social services are in shambles, and Bruce’s constitutionally required budget is nowhere to be found and we get headlines like “Bruce Rauner wanted to be an archaeologist when he was a kid”. Ugh!

Comment by Jocko Friday, Feb 3, 17 @ 8:37 am
maybe they were regarding it the way Trump wants it…pool reporter = pool attendant, doing what the person in the sun wants.

Comment by Amalia Friday, Feb 3, 17 @ 8:44 am