Illinois – (ECWd) –
UPDATE: We have recieved two messages claiming the press conferance video used by WGN in the April 16, 2020 news brief, which we linked to in the article below, was over a month old and actually from a March 13, 2020 press conferance. After review of the governments video of the March 13, 2020, press conference, it does appear all the people standing behind the governor are the same as the WGN video that is taken from a different angle and shows people in the room. Considering the Governor had not issued the social distancing order until March 16th, 2020 and the gathering order limiting those gatherings to 10 people on March 20, 2020, the Governor did not violate his own order. I repeat, the Governor DID NOT violate his own order.
We take full responsibility for not validating WGN’s video production date and we thank our diligent readers for bringing this to our attention. We, in error, took for granted WGN’s video was current and never imagined it would be video from over thirty days prior.
We also apologize to Governor Pritzker for our error.
We chose to run this update in the article we first published in order to minimize further misrepresentations of the matter.
During WGN’s reporting on Pritzker’s China deal gone bad, a very interesting fact appears to come to light in relation to his Executive Order regarding the number of people gathering and social distancing.
- To the extent individuals are using shared or outdoor spaces when outside their residence, they must at all times and as much as reasonably possible maintain social distancing of at least six feet from any other person, consistent with the Social Distancing Requirements set forth in this Executive Order.
- any gathering of more than ten people is prohibited unless exempted by this Executive Order.
- All public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a single household or living unit are prohibited, except for the limited purposes permitted by this Executive Order. Pursuant to current guidance from the CDC, any gathering of more than ten people is prohibited unless exempted by this Executive Order
We found no exemptions for the Governor to hold press conferences with more than ten people in the room nor an exemption for the six-foot social distancing order. While we understand many of the people are media and exempt from the EO, the Governor is not exempt from his own order and all indications point to him failing to enforce social distancing and his ten-person gathering rule.
Clearly, from the video of WGN’s reporting and the screen capture from that video, it appears social distancing is not being maintained and it appears there are more than ten people in that room. We count 24 people, assuming the hand on the lower left is attached to an actual person.
While public bodies across the state are denying people access to meetings because of the 10 person rule, one can only wonder why its OK for the Governor to violate the very rules being imposed on everyone else in this state.
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16 Comments
PK
Posted at 10:14h, 17 April“Misleading by Example”
PK
Posted at 17:19h, 17 AprilThe screen capture in this article is from a press conference held Friday, March 13th. At that time, what executive order(s) were in effect?
Kirk Allen
Posted at 18:26h, 17 AprilThe screen capture is from the video of WGN news April 16th.
PK
Posted at 20:02h, 17 AprilWith much respect, please verify the April 16th WGN news content includes a video segment from Governor Pritzker’s March 13th news conference. Saludth!
Kirk Allen
Posted at 20:30h, 17 AprilWe have asked and are still waiting on a response. If that is the case the article will be updated accordingly.
Dave
Posted at 11:53h, 18 AprilKirk, maybe you should update the title of the article to reflect the inadvertent inaccuracies.
PK
Posted at 14:00h, 18 AprilThank you, Mr. Allen.
The WGN video segment of the Governor’s March 13 press conference is overlayed with a graphic that introduces IDPH director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. The overlay misinforms the audience because the recording date of March 13th, 2020 is not included in the graphic.
C’mon WGN…’Take me out to the ball game!’
Unsilent majority
Posted at 10:55h, 17 AprilOr when he had his press conference at Mcormick place touting his Taj Mahal of medical wonder – all the union guys were right next to each other singing his praises -$$$$ for all the O.T.
I guess thats one way to secure the union vote!
Golden Country
Posted at 12:13h, 17 AprilIts easy to mandate stay at home when you dont depend on an income or are still employed
Mags
Posted at 12:49h, 17 AprilIt is the “do as I say not as I do” rule we have come to expect from so many politicians. By the way, I notice that the fake news media who are reporting that the “sky is falling”, doom and gloom and fear mongering, are not social distancing and are not wearing masks. Nope, not one mask. Do they know something we don’t know??? Have they been assured that the virus is not as contagious to themselves as it is to the common folk? I do hope that more people are waking up and seeing just who these people are.
Richard
Posted at 17:30h, 17 AprilDo we know if the whole state is still shut down til end of May or just the School’s. ?
Theresa
Posted at 20:31h, 17 AprilHe can’t even hold these in the Capitol of Illinois!!!! So much for being the governor, Chicago isn’t the Capitol, SprngfIeld is!!!!!
Vince Koers
Posted at 23:48h, 17 AprilIn any event, hiz honnor the big can be seen daily holding his press conference with a row of sycophants behind him, all rubbing elbows and wearing masks, with him at the lectern talking, sans mask. More fine example of how not to operate in our times of crisis…
EJ
Posted at 15:29h, 18 AprilEmbarrassing attempt at journalism. How the heck do you not even verify when footage was filmed? Rookie mistake for having a one-sided agenda they want to push so quickly.
Kirk Allen
Posted at 15:37h, 18 AprilNow that is funny! Over 4000 articles published and this is the FIRST time we had to make a correction. Hardley a rookie issue. We, as many others believed WGN to be a credible source for the video. Lesson learned.
Jeff
Posted at 18:14h, 23 AprilTime to separate Chicago from the rest of the state