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There’s a rhythm to a Chicago summer you can’t fake. It’s the thump of a basketball on the asphalt in Douglass Park, the hiss of a Polish on a backyard grill in Portage Park, and the low, mournful horn of Continue reading The Parachute Press: Why National Media Keeps Whiffing on Chicago
They fly into O’Hare with a carry-on and a deadline, already knowing the story they’re going to file. A couple of quick interviews, some B-roll of boarded-up storefronts, and a stand-up in front of police tape—then it’s back to the Continue reading When National Media Drops In: A Chicagoan’s View of the Parachute Problem
Here’s how it goes. Something happens in Chicago—a spike in shootings, a political scandal, a polar vortex that makes for dramatic TV—and the out-of-town news crews descend. They check into downtown hotels, grab a rental car, and head straight for Continue reading Why National Media Keeps Getting Chicago Wrong—and How to See Through It
The Helicopter View That Misses the Street You’ve seen it a hundred times. A cable news anchor stands on the lakefront, the skyline shimmering behind them, and they tell the world what Chicago is. They’ve been here for 36 hours. Continue reading When National Media Drops In: The Outsider’s Chicago Story
You can always tell when a national outlet has “discovered” Chicago. The signs are about as subtle as a pothole on Western Avenue come March. Your feeds suddenly drown in the same stock footage—a drone gliding over Lake Michigan, the Continue reading When National Media Drops In: The Parachute Journalism Problem in Chicago
I’ve lived in Chicago for thirty-two years. I’ve seen the city from a newsroom on West Madison, from a corner booth at a diner in Bridgeport, and from a front porch in Austin. I’ve covered aldermanic races that turned on Continue reading The Parachute Problem: Why National Media Keeps Getting Chicago Wrong
There’s a rhythm to this city. It’s in the way the L screeches around the curve at 35th, the way a corner store owner knows your brand of smokes before you ask, the way a grandmother on the West Side Continue reading When National Media Drops In: The Outsider’s View of Chicago
You’ve seen it happen. A national outlet swoops in, cameras blazing, notebooks out, and within 48 hours they’ve “captured” Chicago. They stand in Englewood asking people about violence while a producer Googles the nearest deep-dish spot. They interview three people Continue reading The Parachute Press: Why National Media Keeps Getting Chicago Wrong
The Arrival of the Paratroopers You can spot them a mile away. They tumble out of black SUVs with rental plates, clutching notebooks and smartphones, eyes darting around like they’ve just landed on Mars. Within hours of a bad weekend—a Continue reading The Parachute Press: Why National Media Keeps Getting Chicago Wrong
Every few months, a fresh batch of reporters from New York or D.C. lands at O’Hare, notebooks in hand, ready to “uncover the real Chicago.” They’ve read the stats, watched the press conferences, maybe even listened to a podcast or Continue reading The Parachute Problem: Why National Media Keeps Getting Chicago Wrong