Studs Terkel (Photo: Christopher Walker)

Robservations on the media beat:

Public Narrative

Four longtime Chicago journalists have been named recipients of 2018 Studs Terkel Awards by Public Narrative, the nonprofit community media organization. They are: Dahleen Glanton, columnist for the Chicago Tribune; Odette Yousef, reporter for Chicago Public Media WBEZ 91.5-FM; Kathy Chaney, assistant audience engagement editor of the Sun-Times; and Michael Spencer Green, photojournalist for The Associated Press. In addition, poet Kevin Coval, head of Young Chicago Authors, will receive the Studs Terkel Uplifting Voices Award. All five will honored September 20 at Row 24, 2411 South Michigan Avenue. (Here is the link for tickets.) “These five winners are not only amazing storytellers but all elevate the stories, the beauty and the power of Chicago’s greatest asset — its people," Susy Schultz, president of Public Narrative, said in a statement. "I wish Studs were here today. Not only because we need him to inspire us, but because he would be proud of this group." Continue reading →

Katie Kim

Robservations on the media beat:

Katie Kim, a reporter at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5, has been promoted to weekend morning news anchor. While continuing to work with the NBC 5 Investigates unit during the week, she'll join anchor Susan Carlson on Saturday and Sunday mornings, according to an announcement Wednesday by Frank Whittaker, station manager and vice president of news at NBC 5. "Katie has done a great job filling in, and did a wonderful job for us reporting from the Winter Olympics earlier this year," Whittaker said. A southern California native and magna cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Kim joined NBC 5 in 2014 from KRQE-TV, the CBS affiliate in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Continue reading →

Steve Seaver

A three-way tie for first place in afternoon drive pretty well sums up how tightly compacted the Chicago radio scene has become.

Nielsen Audio figures released Tuesday show afternoon personalities Steve Seaver of Hubbard Radio classic rock WDRV 97.1-FM, Ron Parker of Cumulus Media classic hits WLS 94.7-FM, and Joe Soto of iHeartMedia urban adult-contemporary WVAZ 102.7-FM tied for the top spot in the August survey. That's never happened before. Continue reading →

NBC Tower

Robservations on the media beat:

Cardinal Blase Cupich

WMAQ-Channel 5 is defending itself against criticism that the NBC-owned station unfairly edited an interview last week with Cardinal Blase Cupich. The cardinal called reporter Mary Ann Ahern's story "misleading" because he said it "gave the false impression that Pope Francis and I consider the protection of children to be less important than other issues, such as the environment or immigration. Nothing could be further from the truth." (Here is the link to Cupich's statement.) In response, NBC 5 said: “We believe our story to be accurate in that Cardinal Cupich was referring to the memo about sexual abuse allegations in question. The cardinal was making a point that until accusations are verified, the Pope shouldn’t respond.” The station posted the full unedited interview on its website. (Here is the link to the unedited video.) Continue reading →

WGN

The surprise resignation of Jennifer Lyons as news director of Tribune Broadcasting WGN-Channel 9 and a surge in the ratings by Hubbard Radio classic rock WDRV 97.1-FM and Cumulus Media classic hits WLS 94.7-FM led the top 10 most-read stories here in August.

To read the full posts, click on the headlines: Continue reading →