Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is giving interviews solely to black or brown journalists, local reporters announced on social media. Lightfoot said she is giving priority to journalists of color temporarily.
Several journalists from the Chicago area, including Mary Ann Ahern, a political journalist at NBC 5 Chicago, have claimed that Lightfoot is only giving one-on-one interviews to reporters of color.
“As @chicagosmayor reaches her two year midway point as mayor, her spokeswoman says Lightfoot is granting 1 on 1 interviews-only to Black or Brown journalists,” Ahern tweeted.
As @chicagosmayor reaches her two year midway point as mayor, her spokeswoman says Lightfoot is granting 1 on 1 interviews – only to Black or Brown journalists pic.twitter.com/PAUsacD9Gj
— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) May 18, 2021
Chicago reporter Heather Cherone and WTTW Chicago Tonight anchor Paris Schutz replied to Ahern’s tweet confirming her statement to be true. (RELATED: Chicago Mayor Refuses To Follow Rest Of Illinois, Will Not Open COVID-19 Vaccines To All Due To ‘Quantum Leap’ In Cases’)
I was told the same thing.
— Paris Schutz (@paschutz) May 18, 2021
I can confirm, alderman
— Heather Cherone (@HeatherCherone) May 18, 2021
Lightfoot herself said that she was “prioritizing media requests from POC reporters on the occasion of the two-year anniversary” of her inauguration as mayor.
I ran to break up the status quo that was failing so many. That isn’t just in City Hall.
It’s a shame that in 2021, the City Hall press corps is overwhelmingly White in a city where more than half of the city identifies as Black, Latino, AAPI or Native American.
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) May 19, 2021
This is exactly why I’m being intentional about prioritizing media requests from POC reporters on the occasion of the two-year anniversary of my inauguration as mayor of this great city.
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) May 19, 2021
Some have pushed back on the idea of giving preferential treatment to certain reporters based on race or ethnicity.
Joe Kent, a congressional candidate in Washington, called Lightfoot a racist for her alleged practice. Lavern Spicer, a candidate for Congress in Florida, also spoke out against Lightfoot’s move.
Lori Lightfoot is only granting interviews to “black and brown” reporters from now on.
Isn’t there a word for that, and didn’t people OF ALL RACES fight and march to get rid of her kind of thinking?????????♀️
— Lavern Spicer (@lavern_spicer) May 19, 2021