Lori Lightfoot (Photo: CBS Chicago)
As Chicago’s new mayor, will Lori Lightfoot learn from the mistakes of her predecessors in dealing with the media?
Rahm Emanuel stumbled early in his administration by trying to control the media through secrecy, favoritism and confrontation. Despite efforts to soften his image and appear more accessible, it’s arguable that Emanuel never fully recovered from his rocky start with the City Hall press corps.
With six weeks to go before Lightfoot takes office, journalists are hopeful she’ll adhere to promises of a new day. “If Lightfoot follows through on her campaign vow of transparency and openness, her administration will be a godsend for reporters,” says Laura Washington, the veteran political analyst for WLS-Channel 7 and columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Here’s what some of Chicago television’s top political reporters told me:
Mary Ann Ahern, WMAQ-Channel 5:
Mary Ann Ahern
Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot’s transition will no doubt be different, since she is not coming from a top post at the White House. Mayor Emanuel’s initial months with the press were rough, as he seemed to think he was still in that White House bubble. Perhaps you recall those moments when we tangled after he walked away after taking only a few questions, or when I asked him if his children were going to go to the University of Chicago Lab School and he took off his microphone and walked out of the interview — then turned around the next day and called another TV reporter to tell him his children would go to U of C.
Over his eight years in office, he adjusted that style and to this day offers off the record sessions with reporters and is less combative.
Lightfoot has needed the media through the campaign to get out her message, but we’ll see if that access continues. Of course my hope is it will, but I also realize campaigning and governing are far different. I would think all of us who cover City Hall — print, radio, TV — will be quite competitive on wanting to know how she plans to carry out her mandate for change. Since there really are no deadlines any more, social media will drive the coverage — as reporters look to be the first to know the mayor-elect’s next moves.
Derrick Blakley, WBBM-Channel 2:
Derrick Blakley
During the campaign, I found that Lori Lightfoot generally gave thoughtful, reflective answers to questions. She didn't seem to respond simply with talking points or stock answers from a 3 x 5 index card. I'm hoping that will continue.
As for as City Hall's operation, under Mayor Emanuel, reporters often got responses to questions from departmental spokesmen at the very last minute, just before deadline. It happened so often it seemed to be something of a strategy, but it actually hurt the administration because the responses couldn't be thoughtfully considered or integrated into a story. What's more, responses to FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] requests were painfully slow. Mayor-elect Lightfoot has promised openness and transparency. Changing these practices would be one way she could show it.
Laura Washington, WLS-Channel 7 and Sun-Times:
Laura Washington
Rahm brought his top-down beltway style from Washington to Chicago. He relished in controlling most reporters and cultivating a choice few.
If Lightfoot follows through on her campaign vow of transparency and openness, her administration will be a godsend for reporters.
She will start by exposing Rahm’s skeletons.
She will have an especially close relationship with the Sun-Times, which played a pivotal role in her big win.
In dealing with the media, Lightfoot has a self-effacing sense of humor and can admit she doesn’t have all the answers, unlike her predecessor.
Mike Flannery, WFLD-Channel 32:
Mike Flannery
Rahm and his operatives were obsessed to an almost comical degree with “winning the news cycle,” perhaps a legacy of his D.C. days. I think it cost them opportunities to tell a bigger story about real achievements. I’m sure they’d disagree.
At least for now, Mayor-elect Lightfoot seems notably less preoccupied with that than Rahm. We’ll see once her communications team is in place and she tackles upcoming difficulties, including union negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police and teachers. Both those groups are aggressively trying to control the public narrative. Lightfoot is an excellent communicator. She’ll need to work hard to put her own frame around the issues at hand . . . and her budget proposals this fall.
Tahman Bradley, WGN-Channel 9:
Tahman Bradley
[Lightfoot] was remarkably accessible during the campaign even when reporters wanted to talk about something other than what she wanted to discuss. I sure hope that continues.
She seems wicked smart so I’m sure she understands that we take our jobs seriously and will closely scrutinize everything she does. But so far so good with the first pitch at the Sox home opener.
Friday’s comment of the day: Herb Gould: Ed Sherman and Steve Olken chirping about golf? A sure sign of spring. Welcome back, fellas.