Red ink spills over black-and-white at ‘Chicago Tonight’
The idea of a Chicago television news operation without a single African American reporter or anchor on staff seems like a throwback to some other era. But that’s the situation now at WTTW-Channel 11, the public television station owned by Window to the World Communications and partnered with the new Chicago News Cooperative.
Since July, when “Chicago Tonight” correspondent Christian Farr announced he was leaving to join NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 as a general assignment reporter, Channel 11’s flagship news program has had no black presence on its full-time roster. (By my count, there are four whites and two Hispanics.)
Photo by Chicagoist
For WTTW, whose call letters have long been mocked as standing for “Winnetka Talks to Wilmette,” it’s admittedly a sore subject.
“Because we reflect Chicago and we’re so Chicago focused, we know we’ve got to have African American talent,” said a corporate spokeswoman for the station. “We have to have that representation on our air. Absolutely. It’s very front of our minds.”
But given the station’s financial straits, it’s not likely to happen any time soon. With a strict hiring freeze on, the best anyone there can hope for is to bring on a freelance reporter or two who can “possibly fill in on ‘Chicago Tonight’ in Christian’s stead,” the spokeswoman said. “If there’s an addition to the core group [eventually], it will definitely be an African American.”
The racial makeup of front-line news teams has been a fixation for Chicago television bosses since 1985 when the Rev. Jesse Jackson led a black viewer boycott of CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2. Sparked by the demotion of Harry Porterfield, the station’s only African-American weekday news anchor, the demands by Operation PUSH for greater diversity on the air and behind the scenes placed the industry on notice once and for all.
Although the boycott lasted only 10 months, the effects are still felt today — as evidenced by the recent return of Porterfield, 81, to Channel 2 after his contract was not renewed by ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7. Cynics wonder whether by bringing him back, Channel 2 hopes it can lift the station’s “curse” — and somehow reverse the 24-year ratings drought — brought on by Porterfield’s ill-advised demotion.
For better or for worse, the 1985 boycott also elevated Jackson to supreme media power broker in the market. At an Operation PUSH meeting in 2002, Jackson publicly claimed credit for his role in protecting and advancing the careers of Porterfield, Warner Saunders, Felicia Middlebrooks and Johnathan Rodgers. It was no idle boast. He personally has intervened in contract negotiations for numerous anchors and reporters. To this day, no station manager in Chicago makes a significant move involving top African American news talent without consulting — or, at a minimum, informing — Jackson first.
Conflicts involving Jackson’s relationships with media people abound. In September 2008, Allison Payne, the chronically ailing news anchor at Tribune company-owned WGN-Channel 9, told me she was grateful to Jackson for using his influence to get her an immediate appointment at the famed Mayo Clinic for tests. “If he hadn’t called, I know I would have had to wait months to get in,” she said.
When pressed on the matter, Payne’s boss, WGN news director Greg Caputo, told Phil Rosenthal: “[This] absolutely will not change coverage” of Jackson and his family by the station, “and if that limits Allison’s participation in stories involving Rev. Jackson, then that’s what we’ll do.”
Lo and behold, less than a year later, there was Payne accompanying Jackson on his three-day tour of the Ivory Coast, delivering an eye-roll inducing puff piece on Jackson’s royal treatment by the West African kingdom for Channel 9’s newscasts.
Photo by Reuters
Wisely, the station removed the video from its website before others could link to it.
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11 2009
blogs.vocalo.org
Robert,
It is so good to have you back covering Chicago media. Keep up the great work.
Keith Porter
What’s White and White and red all over?
WTTW, where a revolution is ready to happen. At least a Regime Change.
Doesn’t Mr. T. still live in Lake Forest…?
(Hi Rob!)
re jesse jetstream and a. payne…..
this would fit in nicely on “the score” segment, who you crappin
We’ve missed your “take no prisoners” attitude toward reporting on the Chicago media. Not that I think you ever held back, but I’d imagine you probably have even more freedom within this current format. Oooh, I can hardly wait!
I pine for Marty Robinson…
Great to see you back.
Ever since I arrived in Chicago in 2002, the first stop on my daily visit to the Web was always your column on the Sun-Times website. Your departure left an enormous gap. I’m so glad you’re back, and I hope you’ll be around for a long time to come.
What’s the controversy? I’d bet any amount of money that those “4 whites and 2 hispanics” on Channel 11 do a better collective job of covering local issues than most reporters — of any color — on any other station in town.
It’s too bad for WTTW that Mr. Farr left for Channel 5. He ostensibly was offered a higher profile job at a network station and grabbed it. Isn’t this what the civil rights struggle was all about — providing equal opportunities for African Americans and other minorities that suffered historical discrimination?
Speaking of black media personalities and Jesse Jackson and no mention of Diann Burns? Where is she these days?
I’m white, but I agree completely that, given Chicago’s demographics, there needs to be an African-American presence on “Chicago Tonight.” African-Americans do constitute a distinct subculture, just as Hispanics do, in the larger American social context. Their perspective often differs to some extent from that of the majority of white people — and justifiably so. That perspective needs to be represented. Furthermore, just as women want to see people of their own gender on TV, it’s understandable that African-Americans typically feel that they are not represented unless there are people on screen who look like they do. It’s not a matter of racism; it’s simply a cultural reality.
Harry Porterfield was black? I never noticed.
But more to the point, does a staff that is mostly white and male have the disadvantage of not knowing vast swaths of the city, areas they rarely traverse, as a Sun-Times columnist recently claimed?
Or, does the creation of a staff that has a mix of backgrounds have other justifications and advantages? This argument about privilege easily stumbles into accusations of inability to perform based on racial profiling. Replace the words white with black, male with female and reconsider Laura Washington’s claim about the Chicago News Cooperative: “Nearly every staff member they have named so far is (black) — and (fe)male. The co-op’s board is (black), all but one (fe)male. I would venture there are vast swaths of the city they don’t know and rarely traverse.”
Despite the poor wording of Washington’s attack, I would hope the spirit of her note is not lost on Jim O’Shea nor on the staff of WTTW.
Robert,
It’s good to be reading your column! you have been missed!
Oh look, there’s a job opening . . .
A full time position for someone.
Wonder how many resumes will apply for this one???
Third times the charm for Diann Burns.
Ditched by Channel 7 because her chi was that of a beached whale. They claim she just sat there instead of being “effervescent” like Cheryl Burton. Channel 2 just bought out her contract but still, they weren’t happy with her either.
Maybe this might be the one for her . . .
Interesting, Rob, so good to read you again! Like a cool drink of water. An advocate/avtivist like Jackson is a double-edged sword. The Latino community often complains about not having a Jesse Jackson to hold feet to fire on diversity issues such as this one but at the same time…having a Latino Jesse Jackson sounds scary as hell.
Esther I agree with you. Jackson influence is like a double-edge sword. For example He rules at WGN and look at their New Anchor Line Up. The Noon and Evening Newscasts are soo bad. Giving Fox a good chance to win in the ratings.
Could the egos belonging to Carol Marin and Diann Burns fit in the same building???
Now, if Joel Weisman could become THEIR agent as well (as are his client/’guests’ on “Chicago, The Week in Review”), perhaps they could all enhance and enlarge the happy family that is WTTW…
What happened to the best person for the job?
Give more airtime to the lovely Cheryl Burton. Lots more
Apres… Diann Burns wasn’t ditched by channel 7. She was taken off the air when it became clear that she was shopping around for a new contract. And she and her agent husband knew they could get big bucks–to the tune of $2 mil a year–from former channel 7 boss Joe Ahern who was newly back in Chicago running channel 2 in 2002. He tried to raid channel 7’s talent but they all negotiatied better deals and stayed put. Those that switched channels…well…most he had to fire before he himself was let go. But I digress.
You know who’s an extremely bright reporter? A guy who could and should move beyond sports reporting? Lawrence Holmes at WSCR. WTTW could do worse than to hire Holmes and work him into the segments. He’s wasted in his current assignment alongside Dan Hampton.
I don’t know about the rest of you folks, but I’ve always felt Channel 11 repeatedly misses the boat by not making more creative use of (seemingly) available talent. For example, Lester Munson should have a 30-minute weekly panel show. He’s a national figure. Other PBS outlets might well snap up his show and help defray the cost. Yes, yes, I realize Lester Munson may not care to make such a commitment at this point. I’m just tossing out ideas. I’ve also long felt Carol Marin and Mary Ann Ahern could be paired in a weekly Marin-Ahern Report focused on local and state politics. They might be a harder sell than Munson to potential underwriters. But you don’t know until you try, right? Marin and Ahern wouldn’t even requite a new set. Nor would Munson. Just a few opening graphics and Joel’s round table area. There you go.
There are obvious moves to make…but instead WTTW takes the Check Please formula and tries applying it to hard news with Ana Davlantes hosting? We can do better.