Craig Wall headed to ABC 7 as political reporter

Craig Wall

Veteran Chicago newsman Craig Wall, who signed off last April after 19 years as a general assignment reporter at Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32, soon will be joining ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7 as chief political reporter, sources said Thursday.

Wall is expected to replace Charles Thomas, who retired last February after more than 25 years at ABC 7, including the last eight as political reporter for the top-rated station. Thomas most recently has been co-hosting mornings with Maze Jackson on Midway Broadcasting urban news/talk WVON AM 1690. Continue reading →

Robservations: ProPublica Illinois adds three more reporters

ProPublica Illinois

Robservations on the media beat:

Mick Dumke

ProPublica Illinois continued to ramp up Wednesday with the hiring of three more reporters. Latest to join the staff of the independent, nonprofit investigative news startup are Mick Dumke, investigative reporter for the Sun-Times, Logan Jaffe, multimedia producer for “Curious City” at Chicago Public Media WBEZ FM 91.5, and Sandhya Kambhampati, a Knight-Mozilla OpenNews Fellow at Correctiv, a nonprofit newsroom in Berlin. “We’re very pleased to have recruited such extraordinary journalists to our news team,” Louise Kiernan, ProPublica Illinois editor-in-chief, said in a statement. “Their depth and breadth of experience will allow us to soon get up to full speed and begin publishing investigative stories of moral force.” Earlier hires include investigative reporters Jodi S. Cohen and Jason Grotto from the Chicago Tribune and David Eads from NPR Visuals. Continue reading →

Eisendrath, unions still in running to buy Sun-Times, Reader

Chicago Sun-Times

At least two other bidders — including a group headed by former Chicago Alderman Edwin Eisendrath — are still in competition with Chicago Tribune owner tronc to buy the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Reader, according to multiple sources.

With backing from the Chicago Federation of Labor, Eisendrath submitted a preliminary letter of intent to bid for the two publications before the 5 p.m. Monday deadline set by the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division. Continue reading →

Robservations: Justin Breen leaves DNAinfo for ‘new adventure’

Justin Breen (Photo: Colin Boyle)

Robservations on the media beat:

Justin Breen has resigned as senior editor of DNAinfo Chicago to start his own communications and public relations business. “I’m thankful for being able to use the skills I acquired at DNAinfo Chicago to help people grow their businesses as I expand my own brand – BrEpic Communications LLC,” Breen said. “I’m looking forward to seeing where this new adventure takes me.” A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and former sports editor and assistant managing editor of the The Times of Northwest Indiana, Breen was the third employee hired by DNAinfo in 2012. "Justin helped get DNAinfo Chicago off the ground and really made a tremendous impact as an editor and writer,” said managing editor Shamus Toomey. “His insatiable curiosity led him to so many interesting, inspiring and fun stories around Chicago's neighborhoods. We'll miss him but wish him the best in his new effort." Continue reading →

Eisendrath, Ritchie poised to bid for Sun-Times, Reader

Chicago Sun-Times

Hoping to thwart Chicago Tribune owner tronc, a former Chicago alderman and a suburban hedge fund manager are expected to step up with competing bids for the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Reader, according to multiple sources.

Monday is the last day prospective bidders may provide an initial offer, according to an agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division and Wrapports Holdings LLC, parent company of the two publications. If an acceptable offer is not received by 5 p.m., the daily Sun-Times and the weekly Reader are on track to be sold to tronc, which signed a letter of intent last month. Continue reading →

Robservations: Did Ebony skip town without paying writers?

Ebony

Robservations on the media beat:

Adrienne Samuels Gibbs

Ebony magazine has moved its editorial operations to Los Angeles, but it’s left some very unhappy writers back in Chicago. The African-American lifestyle monthly is under fire in published reports and on social media for not paying freelancers for their work, some of it dating back years. With as many as 30 contributors believed to be waiting for payment, many have taken to invoking the hashtag “#EbonyOwes” on Twitter. In response, Ebony has blocked some of them from its account. Adrienne Samuels Gibbs, a former senior editor, said she was never paid for her June cover story on Chance the Rapper, and Ebony still owes her “more than half” for her work as managing editor on the previous issue. Tiffany Walden, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The TRiiBE, has not been paid for her work on two earlier issues, according to Gibbs. Michael Gibson, chairman of Ebony Media, did not respond to a request for comment. Last month he told the Chicago Tribune the magazine was "100 percent committed to getting those people paid." Gibson’s CVG Group acquired Ebony in 2016 from Chicago-based Johnson Publishing. Continue reading →

For sale: Sun-Times extends deadline for outside bidders

Chicago Sun-Times (May 31, 2017)

The parent company of the Chicago Sun-Times has agreed to give potential buyers a few more days to make a bid for the newspaper, possibly derailing a deal with Chicago Tribune owner tronc.

At the request of the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, Wrapports Holdings LLC will extend the deadline to Monday, giving others five more days to prepare an offer, according to Jim Kirk, publisher and editor of the Sun-Times. Continue reading →

Robservations: May ratings show TV news turning off viewers

Chicago at night

Robservations on the media beat:

Late-news ratings took another hit in May, with viewership down more than 17 percent in key adult demographics for all of Chicago’s 10 p.m. Monday-through-Friday newscasts. Nielsen numbers for the May sweep showed overall ratings dropped 12.8 percent from last year and 17.6 percent among viewers between 25 and 54. Analysts offered a variety of explanations for the decline, including erosion of audience to digital media, time-shifting among primetime viewers, and lower levels of homes using television versus last May. One source cited “news fatigue” by consumers since the presidential election. In total households and adult demos, ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7 finished first in all afternoon and evening news races, while Tribune Media WGN-Channel 9 won in mornings. Continue reading →