RESOLUTION HONORING THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHICAGO REPORTER
WHEREAS, In 1972, on the heels ofthe civil rights movement ofthe 1960s, The Chicago Reporter was founded by John A. McDermott, who sought to create the nation's first publication devoted to analyzing and investigating local racial issues; and
WHEREAS, The City Council has been informed of this milestone by the Honorable Brendan Reilly, Alderman ofthe 42nd Ward; and
WHEREAS, McDermott, active in the City's civil rights movement, saw that the era of marches and lunch counter protests had come to an end; what people needed were facts; and
WHEREAS, Since its inception, The Reporter's mission has been national, but the publication has always remained grounded in Chicago, a bellwether for urban policies; and
WHEREAS, In its trademark style of dispassionate but exhaustive reporting, The Reporter broke dozens of stories documenting widespread discrimination against African Americans in corporate hiring, city services, and governmental affairs; and
WHEREAS, In 2016, The Reporter merged with its sister publication Catalyst, which for 25 years was a trusted watchdog and resource for school improvement in the City, including extensive on-the-ground reporting on a range of issues such as school choice and equity in school resources; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the years, The Reporter's staff have won numerous awards, including the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Clarion Award, dozens of Lisagor Awards, and a series of Kogan Awards from the Chicago Bar Association; and
WHEREAS, In the fifty years since its founding, The Reporter has continued to cover Chicago's streets, neighborhoods, and institutions, confronting racial and economic inequality using the power of investigative journalism to further its mission of documenting the struggles with the burning issues of race and poverty; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members ofthe City Council ofthe City of Chicago, gathered here this twenty-first day of September, 2022, do hereby wish to honor the history, the legacy, and the future of The Chicago Reporter and extend our most heartfelt and sincere admiration of this cornerstone of journalism excellence and its commitment to the fair and accurate treatment and representation of the diverse communities of the City of Chicago; and
BRENDAN REILLY Alderman, 42nd Ward
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to The Chicago Reporter as a sign of our honor and respect.