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November 22, 2024

Illinois Governor Pritzker – Selective impartiality for press access – hypocrisy exposed

By Kirk Allen & John Kraft

On June 5, 2020

Illinois (ECWd) –

One of the well-established foundations in our Country is our First Amendment, which includes freedom of the press.

As most of the state is aware, Governor Pritzker banned Amy Jacobson’s access to his daily press briefing, claiming she is not an “impartial journalist.”  In another article, it was reported the Governor stated “It’s not the way you act, it’s not the way your colleagues in the media act who are reporters. That is not a reporter.”

Not the way your colleagues in the media act?

Three days earlier WGN Radio Host Chicago Pete McMurray sent an email to the Governor’s Press Secretary

“Ready to help get the word out and tell people to stick it out JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER!!!
And no Amy Jacobson questions (maybe we should put her on mute)

Such statements raise several concerns.

  • Is this radio host being impartial or simply carrying the message for the Governor? 
  • How is a free press supposed to operate when members of the press are suggesting no questions from a particular reporter?
  • How is a free press supposed to operate when members of the press are suggesting a reporter be muted? 

Clearly, such questions point to a lack of impartiality and conflict with the Governor’s statement regarding how colleagues in the media act.  We have not seen the WGN Radio Host get banned for what appears to be a clear attempt to suppress a free press, and rather than reporting, carrying the water for the Governor.

We suspect this email will become part of the federal lawsuit Amy Jacobson filed against the Governor.

Our readers should know the Governor and his press secretary had denied us access to the same press conferences for months.  Only after we had our attorney send them our intent to sue letter for access did they provide us the appropriate access information.

We will update with a new article as the Jacobson case makes its way through the courts.

WGN Radio Host

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7 Comments
  • PK
    Posted at 13:16h, 06 June

    I dunno how many others following this story would benefit from a review the communication from ECWd legal to Illinois Governor’s front line admin. Please consider clipping that correspondence to this news post. Thank you!

  • PK
    Posted at 00:12h, 06 June

    Chicago’s Very Own Radio Host Chicago appears the lesser of a cut-throat competitor or an outright bully.

  • Lyn P
    Posted at 19:21h, 05 June

    Disgusting. They are the supremacists, aka elitists. Working against the public.

  • Dave
    Posted at 15:40h, 05 June

    I remember Listserve that allowed some 400 liberal journalists, academics, and political activists to brainstorm and collaborate among themselves
    During the 2008 presidential campaign, Journolist members secretly colluded to discredit and ignore stories that had the potential to harm Barack Obama’s bid for the White House. Founded in February 2007 by the Washington Post’s liberal blogger/columnist Ezra Klein, Journolist was an online listserve consisting of some 400 self-described liberals mostly journalists, but also some professors and political activists. Journolist functioned essentially as a secret society of email communications, where members could compare sources, share information, discuss their thoughts on current events, and coordinate the way they reported on certain stories all off the record. Conservatives were barred from joining the group. The conspiracy is ongoing and increasing, the collaboration between shameless liberal media outlets attacking Trump is obvious, as is the attacks on conservatives.

  • Dave
    Posted at 15:35h, 05 June

    There is a journalist conspiracy in the liberal Chitcago media.

    • Aaron
      Posted at 20:24h, 05 June

      It’s the mockingbird media. And it’s nationwide.

    • HT
      Posted at 20:47h, 05 June

      Hey, everyone beware of the next wave, of the virus attacking our pets. That was the sentiment I heard today on the local news. They’re no longer posting human deaths from covid, as we all know this government has saved humanity from the virus, so they’re now it’s on to pets. I thought it was the Onion news, when it was reported that the first cat to have caught the virus today. It was the news.

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