The arrest of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on corruption charges (including a claim that he tried to profit from the selection of a replacement for now President-Elect Obama’s Senate seat) is a huge story.
But, within this huge story there were two other huge stories from the standpoint of the media.
First, among the examples of how the Governor abused his power comes word that he tried to pressure ownership of the Chicago Tribune to fire its editorial board after they were critical of his performance It is common practice for a newspaper to criticize a sitting public official, in their role as watchdog and advocate for the community. It is disturbing to think that an elected official would respond by threatening the financial security of the paper (or worse) because of his/her disagreement with their opinion. Read the story here.
Second, a statement from Gerould Kern, Chicago Tribune editor today confirmed that the paper had uncovered evidence of the Governor’s behavior but held the story at the request of the prosecutor’s office. The statement read:
The Chicago Tribune investigated allegations of misconduct involving Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich independent of the U.S. attorney’s criminal probe.
As a standard practice, our reporters contact individuals involved in these stories for confirmation and comment prior to publication. Consequently, we contacted the U.S. attorney’s office in the course of our reporting.
On occasion, prosecutors asked us to delay publication of stories, asserting that disclosure would jeopardize the criminal investigation. In isolated instances, we granted the requests, but other requests were refused.
The Chicago Tribune’s interest in reporting the news flows from its larger obligation of citizenship in a democracy. In each case, we strive to make the right decision as reporters and as citizens. That’s what we did in this case.
By doing its job, and helping to hold the Governor accountable to his constituents, the Tribune inadvertently became a central part of its own story. Additionally, when the Tribune had an opportunity to break the story of the Governor’s actions — and conceivably sell more papers — they chose instead to honor their commitment to the community they represent. Newspapers like the Tribune may not have found a way to make money (the Tribune Company filed for bankruptcy yesterday) but these two stories demonstrate that they still provide an important public service that cannot be dismissed.
The role of the media is changing in the digital age. In the past, newspapers in particular have served as gatekeepers for information about our government. But everyone now has the ability to create and consume news on their terms, and newspapers are struggling to stay relevant. News organizations like the Tribune must compete for attention and access with blogs and other digital news gathering and distribution channels. Beyond just reporting the news, the industry must find a new role and business model if it hopes to survive. What is clear from todays’ story, is that part of media’s role should continue to be serving as watchdog and an advocate for our democracy.
Brian is Managing Director of little m media which provides strategic guidance and support to organizations around the use of the internet and technology to facilitate communications, engagement, education, and mobilization.