One Latino reporter canceled his interview with Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot after she said she would prioritize interview requests from journalists of color.
“I am a Latino reporter @chicagotribune whose interview request was granted for today,” Chicago Tribune reporter Gregory Pratt tweeted Wednesday. “However, I asked the mayor’s office to lift its condition on others and when they said no, we respectfully canceled. Politicians don’t get to choose who covers them.”
I am a Latino reporter @chicagotribune whose interview request was granted for today. However, I asked the mayor’s office to lift its condition on others and when they said no, we respectfully canceled. Politicians don’t get to choose who covers them. https://t.co/YMW8M8ZgJm
— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) May 19, 2021
Lightfoot announced Wednesday that she wanted to prioritize non-white journalists to be more inclusive and diverse.
“Diversity and inclusion is imperative across all institutions including media,” Lightfoot tweeted. “In order to progress we must change. 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.”
Diversity and inclusion is imperative across all institutions including media. In order to progress we must change.
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) May 19, 2021
“We must be intentional about doing better. I believed that when running for office. I stand on this belief now. It’s time for the newsrooms to do better and build teams that reflect the make-up of our city,” she continued. (RELATED: Chicago Mayor Says Teachers Union Acting Like ‘Political Party’)
Several journalists in the area, such as NBC 5 Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern and WTTW Chicago Tonight anchor Paris Schutz, corroborated that Lightfoot was being selective in her interviews.
Lightfoot’s decision has been criticized, with several people accusing Lightfoot of racism.
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
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is now refusing to do one-on-one interviews with any journalists unless they have brown or black skin.
You know, there’s a word for that: “Racism”
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) May 19, 2021
46 people were shot in Chicago this past weekend and
Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) is focusing on excluding white journalists from interviewing her.Her priorities are shameful.https://t.co/A6mIjBflHc
— Alex Marlow (@AlexMarlow) May 20, 2021
2/5 But if you are da mayor and concerned with only talking to white guys, you reckon, the best approach is to, well, give lots of interviews to journos of color. You don’t put out a press release. You just do it. You make a point of it.
— Chris Jones (@ChrisJonesTrib) May 20, 2021
A Chicago-based digital platform said the criticism was offensive, however.
“With this outrage, y’all are implying that Black and Brown journalists aren’t capable of asking the hard questions,” The TRiiBE tweeted.
With this outrage, y’all are implying that Black and Brown journalists aren’t capable of asking the hard questions.
Follow and subscribe to https://t.co/fqTHG6DuwT to see for yourself.
Our revolutionary columnist @BellaBahhs interviewed Mayor Lightfoot today. Story coming 5/20. pic.twitter.com/dGPzRBgF3z
— The TRiiBE (@TheTRiiBE) May 19, 2021
The Daily Caller has reached out to Gregory Pratt but did not receive a response at the time of publication.