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* The Chicago Tribune editorial board has gone from being deviously smart to… well…
An editorial on the state’s new criminal justice legislation that ran on Page 7 on Jan. 18 misspelled the name of former House Speaker Mike Madigan. The Tribune regrets the error.
…Adding… I checked the WayBack Machine to see how they misspelled it…
New House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, now finishing his first year in the chair occupied by former Speaker Mike Madison
Hilarious.
* Also, this Tribune editorial was changed online without any sort of acknowledgement like the Madigan error was, so now their central claim about Bryan Traubert and his spouse doesn’t have near as much snap, although going after somebody’s spouse seems questionable to begin with here. The Tribunists claimed Traubert was the board chair, but that is no longer true. He sits on the 22-member board. But you do what you do, Tribbies…
But the bigger challenge, we think, will be reporting honestly on the powerful foundations with budgets in the billions that are part of this merger and that deserve the same scrutiny as government entities or corporations.
That’s compounded here both by the presence on the new Sun-Times board of directors of Kristen Mack, the managing director for communications for the MacArthur Foundation, and the identity of the recent chair of the WBEZ board, Bryan Traubert, husband of former U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, the sister of Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The Pritzker Traubert Foundation is a supporter of this deal.
We’ve no reason to believe any of these high-achieving Chicagoans will impede editorial independence, but wise heads will look for certitude. Penny Pritzker, who has many talents, could run again for office or occupy a key government position in a future J.B. Pritzker administration. What happens then?
Also, she’s not gonna work for JB. C’mon.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 1:44 pm
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Oh, like when you guys owned the Cubs and bristled at any hint of conflict of interest in covering something you owned.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 1:51 pm
= What happens then? =
Someone would probably resign and/or step down from a position that has an obvious conflict of interest. That’s what happens then. I would also have no problem loudly criticizing any activity other than that in such a hypothetical situation.
I mean, it’s not like we are talking about Clarence Thomas and his spouse here.
Once again, just file this under: Every accusation is an admission.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 1:52 pm
===Also, she’s not gonna work for JB. C’mon.===
Think of the comedic potential. Billionaire heiress puts her career in federal service on hold to help her billionaire kid brother govern the State of Illinois with the inept but oh so dedicated Eastern Bloc reps constantly trying to undermine the State Government at the cost of their own constituents.
Like Veep, only the main characters are even wealthier and the GOP reps are worse than Jonah and keep insisting on discussing how the Governor’s daughter looks in her swimwear at public meetings.
Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 1:55 pm
“Penny Pritzker, who has many talents, could run again for office or occupy a key government position in a future J.B. Pritzker administration.”
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA on so many levels.
Comment by New Day Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 1:57 pm
Why weigh in on the merger at all other than to say it’s good for journalism? The whole piece was unnecessarily condescending and smug.
Comment by Puh-leeze Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 1:57 pm
After Statehouse Chick left, maybe they should let the editors at The Onion write the editorials, I mean, sure, there will be some funny stuff, but the spelling would be better, the connecting of dots would be funnier, and they’d be a good test of one’s intellect as to how serious you’d take The Onion writing those editorials.
It’s just plain sad and embarrassing for the exceptional reporters, I’m guessing, having their own paper have so many self owns on the editorial page.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 1:59 pm
Rich, your shot at the trib has substance.
but you know as well as anyone how the news industry has been gutted in recent years. real professionals have been forced out and replaced by the young and inexperienced who know little. anyone’s fingers, of course, can hit the wrong key - Madigan/Madison.
but there is a paucity of expertise and oversight and, dare I say it - indifference. where was the copy desk. it’s sickening how the great journalism for which Chicago was known for decades has been degraded and destroyed by real-world market issues.
we are all the poorer for it. because of that sad reality, I think your glee over the Trib’s mistake is misplaced.
Comment by jim Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:01 pm
Apparently the Tribune is now afraid a non-profit not beholden to shareholders will beat it at the newspaper game, so they took inaccurate cheap shots to fearmonger.
I agree with OW at 1:59pm; The Onion would do a better job than the current Tribune editors. “Governor’s wife could do something someday” seems to work as the first headline.
Comment by thisjustinagain Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:04 pm
= The whole piece was unnecessarily condescending and smug. =
Like most Trib editorials.
Comment by JoanP Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:05 pm
It’s also interesting to read knowing that the Trib editorial board chief/theater critic is married to the CEO of a different foundation. Perhaps there’s some additional subtext there.
Comment by Moe Berg Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:05 pm
==An editorial on the state’s new criminal justice legislation that ran on Page 7 on Jan. 18 misspelled the name of former House Speaker Mike Madigan. ==
Trib’s not the only news source full of bloopers and mispellings in recent years. Watch Channel 20 news for a week and there will probably be some of them at least on several newscasts per week (some of their bloopers in recent years include “Rep. Sue Scherer R-Decatur”; labeling a Glenwood HS story as “District 186″; graphic of a homeless person in front of the ALPLM when talking about the homeless situation at Springfield’s public Lincoln Library, etc.).
Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:07 pm
Where was the outrage from the Tribune when a the President’s daughter and her husband worked for the President.
Comment by Publius Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:07 pm
What’s next?… President Biben?
Comment by Dotnonymous Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:09 pm
Madison? I guess practice doesn’t always make perfect.
Comment by Excitable Boy Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:10 pm
Why does anyone at the Tribe think we care what they think?
Comment by Cheryl44 Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:11 pm
= Speaker Mike Madison =
HA(banned punctuation) That’s not even a misspelling. It’s a completely different name.
Proving that spellcheck only fixes the parts of well… being like that, which lead to spelling mistakes. Spellcheck alone will never fix all the other parts of being well… like that.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:12 pm
“Because… Madison‼” — Alexander Hamilton (attributed)
Comment by MisterJayEm Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:21 pm
“Because … Madison”
- Hamilton’s New York Post, circa 1801, probably
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:24 pm
How soon they forget. Methinks MM is laughing at the Tribbies.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:26 pm
===But the bigger challenge, we think, will be reporting honestly===
Until I read further I thought the Tribune was doing some self-analysis for its own future. And present.
Comment by Leslie K Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:53 pm
Is the Tribune still wating for future governor Lisa Madison?
Comment by a drop in Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 2:59 pm
The Pritzker stuff is funny. It’s almost like they could be a for profit company or something…
Comment by Steve Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 3:48 pm
=== But the bigger challenge, we think, will be reporting honestly on the powerful foundations with budgets in the billions that are part of this merger and that deserve the same scrutiny as government entities or corporations.===
Wait, is the Tribune editorial board going to start scrutinizing corporations now?
Because I sure don’t recall any hard-hitting Tribune pieces about the McCormick Foundation, Crown Family Foundation, Zell Family Foundation…nor anyone asking what happened to all of the charitable money the Ricketts are supposedly raising through the Cubs.
Comment by Thomas Paine Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 4:04 pm
“Before joining Polk Bros. Foundation in early 2013, Gillian was a principal with Civic Consulting Alliance where she guided numerous initiatives to transform Chicago Public Schools, tourism, workforce, and City operations and led the City’s 2011 Mayoral transition plan.”
Hrm, no potential conflicts of interest there at all.
Comment by Kane Connection Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 4:06 pm
When the lead editorial writer used to be the theater critic what do you expect?
Comment by Moe Berg gets it Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 6:39 pm