Chicago Tribune Omits Blagojevich's Party Affiliation in Breaking News Story on Sentencing
Disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.) was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison today. The Chicago Tribune devoted four reporters to cover this one story.
Despite this, there were zero references to Blagojevich's Democratic party affiliation in the 49-paragraph "breaking news" item, "Judge gives Blagojevich 14 years: 'When governor goes bad, fabric of Illinois is torn.'"
To be fair, corrupt Blagojevich predecessor Republican Gov. George Ryan, who was briefly mentioned in the story, was also described without reference to his party affiliation:
The sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge James Zagel is more than double the prison term given in 2006 to former Gov. George Ryan, who is serving a 6 ½-year sentence in a federal prison in Terre Haute.
Although Blagojevich attempted to sell President Obama's vacated Senate seat, there was no mention in the story of the nation's chief executive.
- Ken Shepherd's blog
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Comments
ap did the same, again
Submitted by right of way on Wed, 12/07/2011 - 5:36pm.
i noticed the same thing on cbs.com with an ap story that not once mentioned that dreaded "D" letter.
Blago - LAT's two stories - no "D"
Submitted by Gary Hall on Wed, 12/07/2011 - 6:23pm.
LAT's has posted two stories on-line today - one awaiting sentencing - one after. No use of the D word found.
(;~/ gary
May be the same article, I
Submitted by Ken Shepherd on Wed, 12/07/2011 - 6:36pm.
May be the same article, I believe the LAT and Chicago Trib are owned by the same company, Tribune Newspapers.
True, the Tribune is no longer the official midwestern
Submitted by Jer on Wed, 12/07/2011 - 9:53pm.
mouthpiece of the Republican Party as it was during the McCormick era, but it is anything but a bastion of liberal journalism within the ranks of the contemporary print media. In fact, it can be reasonably argued that it still tilts to the right.
And the Trib has clearly been no fan of Blagojevich, having called for his ouster while governor and strongly hinting that the presiding judge should lower the boom on the disgraced pol in the current sentencing hearing.
Finally, anyone with at least a room temperature IQ could easily and accurately deduce Blago's party affiliation by merely scanning the Tribune's frequent references to his association with notable Democrats such as Barack Obama, Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Valerie Jarrett--and anyone incapable of drawing such inference would also be incapable of following the basic story line of the article and have no business reading it.
Jer
And what, exactly, Jeringo, does your post do---
Submitted by matthewdean on Wed, 12/07/2011 - 10:24pm.
to negate the fact that the media routinely pulls this type of stunt?
Absolutely nothing.
Once again, you attempt to ameliorate, if not outright excuse, biased liberal media BS.
Anyone with at least a room temperature IQ could easily and accurately deduce your party affiliation by merely scanning your posts.
Of course, you are at least open about your left-leaning partisanship.
Then again, so is the mainstream media - while denying it if so charged.
MD
Allow me to assist your comprehension yet again, Deanstein...
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 12/08/2011 - 10:11pm.
by expanding upon the essential points of my post:
a. The Chicago Tribune has enjoyed a long association with Republican politics and while it has become more ideologically balanced in recent years it can by no means be considered a member of the liberal MSM.
b. Nor can it be reasonably argued the Tribune has been attempting to protect Blagojevich inasmuch as the paper has been one of his fiercest critics. Nor can it be reasonably argued that the paper is attempting to protect Barack Obama since it has been invariably forthright in its reporting of the connection between Blago and the administration--while mentioning Rahm Emanuel, Valerie Jarrett and President Obama by name.
c. The Tribune has in fact identified Blago's Democratic party affiliation in some of its earlier and very extensive reporting on the scandal.
d. As Ken correctly noted, in the referenced articles the Tribune likewise failed to label ex-Governor Ryan, the corrupt and convicted predecessor of Blagojevich, as a member of the Republican Party, which seriously undercuts any claim of favoritism or double standard.
That should be sufficient to warrant a more objective assessment of the bias issue in this particular case, but I'm confident you'll decline the invitation since objective assessments are not endeavors with which you appear to be very well acquainted or for which you have heretofore exhibited any particular interest.
Jer
You can expand until your---
Submitted by matthewdean on Fri, 12/09/2011 - 4:16am.
liberal butt gets too big to fit through the door, for all I care, Jeringo.
For someone so locked into being a left leaning Democrat expounding liberally biased blather all over a conservative site, you sure do make a big deal out of no one but yourself posting here with objective assessments.
Since you disavow that you do so, note that your post was just another typical example of your condescending BS.
Very commonplace for you, actually; and easily laughed off by the simple expedient of considering the source.
MD
Oh stop with the crybaby routine, md...
Submitted by Jer on Fri, 12/09/2011 - 3:11pm.
If it were somehow possible to extract the condescension content from all of your comments over the past couple of years, the remainder could be posted on a single NB page.
And, for the record, regarding the lack of objective assessments, I wasn't referring to everybody but me. I was referring specifically to you.
Jer
Utilizing the "crybaby" routine merely shows---
Submitted by matthewdean on Fri, 12/09/2011 - 9:56pm.
that I have scored with it reference the deepest pathology inherent in your makeup.
Left leaning Democrat on a conservative site, and the best you can do is insist that you are objective, while I am not.
Strange, eh, that so many of the regulars who post here disagree with your take on most subjects; yet you continue to maintain that everyone else is out of step.
You - a left leaner, objective? Making "objective" assessments about conservative issues, thoughts, and ideas?
What a joke.
MD
Ken - yes, and well, sorta
Submitted by Gary Hall on Thu, 12/08/2011 - 12:40pm.
Yes - they are the same, and the LAT's often imports work from the Chicago Trib. I know this.
However, I confess - in the moment - I really wasn't paying attention to that, but in looking back both of the articles I'd looked at were from Chicagoland and were by the same cluster blank of staff writers, but were actually different variations on the theme. So, in the end, no matter how many times they tried, they still couldn't find it in their collective little heads to put the D in the story.
(;~> gary
be a shame if anything was to happen....
Submitted by MidAmerica on Wed, 12/07/2011 - 6:52pm.
Blago was just a fall guy to protect other politicians and obama. So why is Blago willing to go to prison without singing like a Canary? You wouldn't either if you loved your family.
Our local news may have set a
Submitted by Reaver on Wed, 12/07/2011 - 8:18pm.
Our local news may have set a record for “name that party” bias, they covered Blogojevich’s sentencing without once using the word democrat but they did speculate that the reason he got such a harsh sentence might be because he was the second Ill. Governor in a row to be convicted on corruption charges. They immediately identified the previous governor as a republican. I nearly fell out of my chair I laughed so hard.
Blago
Submitted by GerryC on Wed, 12/07/2011 - 11:21pm.
The incredibly dumb voters in Illinois deserve this. Back-to-back Democrat governors of the state have now been sent to federal prison for corruption. They will soon be opening the "Illinois Prison for former Democrat Governors' State Prison", probably to much fanfare of everyone in Chicago. Why is it that every city and state that is on threshold of bancrupcy, insolvency, and complete rapture, lead by Democrats?
I lived near Chicago earlier in life, and the filth still stinks on my clothes.
GerryC, Well, not all of the
Submitted by Liberallies on Wed, 12/07/2011 - 11:29pm.
GerryC,
Well, not all of the voters in Illinois. It is freaking Cook County!!!! where Chicago resides! All of the counties in Illinois go Red in every election, except Cook County and the St. Louis County down South by Souther Illinois University- Edwardsville.
I have had my long, friendly and heated conversations, with Liberals about this. They simply do not care. Illinois is raising its highway tolls from to almost $2.00. This of course hurts the middle class and the poor in Illinois, Liberals simply do not care. Corruption in Illinois? Liberals do not care. They blind themselves to the Truth and when you tell them, they stare at you and just repeat over and over stupid talking points.
Illinois is bankrupt, corrupt and Democrats will keep on winning. We have Rinos like Mark Kirk on the Right, Senator Dick Durbin who is a disaster. The Republican party in Illinois is full of Rinos who hate Sarah Palin and the likes. I was offered to work for the party here in Illinois and I refused because of the Republican establishment in Illinois is full of Rinos and Left wingers.
Illinois like California, New York and every other single Blue state is in real economic trouble, but no one seems to care. It is scary.