Tribune Up to Its Old Tricks

There was a brief period when the Chicago Tribune seemed to be making at least a token effort to treat the White Sox with at least a feeble appearance of equality, a brief period inspired, perhaps, by the fact that the White Sox did what seemed like the impossible for decades and brought a World Series trophy to Chicago. But that brief period of tokenism appears to have come to a resounding close. The Tribune has reverted to overt bias.

It has done so, no doubt, as part of a corporation-wide campaign to counteract the White Sox's documented dominance in team popularity last year. We didn't make this up. "Tribune columnist" Phil Rogers told us Nov. 20: "Tribune Co. is determined to hang on to the team, its most visible piece of civic commitment, and has too much pride to see the White Sox become Chicago's team." (Civic commitment? Try gross and greedy self-interest).

So, for example, whenever the two teams are listed in the sidebar to the Tribune's online sports page, Cubs are always listed first. Not long ago, the Tribune made the effort to interchange the two teams.

Also in the sidebar, the "Get Your Cubs On" fan photo gallery always appears above the "Get Your Sox On" fan photo gallery. For a while, the Tribune made an effort to switch those positions. ("Get Your Sox On" is also the only fan gallery that seems to be stuck with a black and white photo. Perhaps the Tribune doesn't realize that color photography has reached Third-World regions like the South Side. To realize that, they might have to dare venture down here).

Now, this might sound like a trivial matter, what's above what. But doesn't it amount to an effort by the Cubune to make sure people who turn to the Tribune for news also absorb the impression that the Cubs come first? That the Cubs are on top? That the Cubs are most popular? Even when they aren't anymore? Especially when they aren't anymore.

On today's print sports page, we have a countdown to the day that Cubs pitchers and catchers report to camp. As if everyone in Chicago is as excited about that day as the shareholding employees in the Cubune Tower. As for the White Sox, no stories. Not even one. Is that because there's no White Sox news today? Or is it because in order to find news someone from the Tribune would have to actually venture south of Roosevelt Road, where it's dangerous, they've heard, for outsiders to go.

Meanwhile, could it really be an accident that during the peak shopping season from Thanksgiving Week to Christmas Week, a picture of Alfonso Soriano appeared on top of the online sports page for 17 of 29 days. As if to say, When you go shopping, Cubs fans, remember to spend a lot of money on your high-spending Cubbies!

Combine this with the fact that during the last two regular seasons, during which the White Sox won a World Series and reigned as champions, the Tribune published 1,400 more stories that mention the Cubs than stories that mention the White Sox. Fourteen-hundred.

How can the Tribune possibly deny being biased?