tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-249121992009-03-11T13:43:54.221-05:00Documenting Bias in Tribune-Media Coverage of Chicago Baseball and Chicago LifeChicago Cubune Watchnoreply@blogger.comBlogger284125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-47620928055309067342009-03-11T13:37:00.002-05:002009-03-11T13:43:54.235-05:00

Criticizing the Tribune right now is like kicking a puppy that's falling down an elevator shaft. But yes, we have noticed what they're up to. Our friend on the inside is promising big changes. Stay tuned...

Chicago Cubune Watchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-90734072858130089242008-11-16T10:55:00.006-06:002008-11-17T11:24:13.875-06:00

Cutting back, as the Cubbies are preparing to do as they look toward the 2009 season, is hard. But while team GM Jim Hendry seems resolute and resigned to not chasing dubious players with Monopoly money this offseason, the change in philosophy is hitting Hendry's fellow Tribune Co. employee Phil Rogers a bit harder.First, Dr. Phil was sure the Cubbies would re-sign single-season ace Ryan Dempster

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-43170356645059723272008-10-04T12:33:00.005-05:002008-10-04T13:06:24.551-05:00

This week, the Tribune unveiled its new look. Paid media analysts could describe it better, but the "World's Greatest Newspaper" has moved off into a View-Master direction: Bigger pictures, less words.Knowing the Tribune the way you do, that should undoubtedly be a good thing, right? Fewer words mean less smarminess, bias, and factual flubs. Jury's still out on that, though.On page one of

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-13029821470206500122008-09-24T13:36:00.007-05:002008-09-24T15:25:20.269-05:00

While the steady diet of bias and misinformation wafting out of the Tribune Tower on behalf of its wheezing-its-way-into-oblivion newspaper is usually enough to keep things hopping here, occasionally attention must be shifted to the Tribune's all-Cubbies, all-the-time television network, WGN.Now, there was no particular anniversary that drove the production of WGN's "All-Time Chicago Baseball

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-50273981668742920002008-08-28T21:24:00.005-05:002008-08-28T22:08:13.739-05:00

What a remarkable two days it has been for Chicago White Sox fans.First, Jay Mariotti, leading shouter at Sun-Times sports, resigned within hours of returning from his Bright One-sponsored visit to China. Word on the street is that the Mighty Mullet got no closer than a rickshaw to actual sporting competitions while overseas--a masterful feat given that dozens were held daily. (In Chicago, Jay

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-84350994511901079302008-08-19T11:06:00.007-05:002008-08-19T12:34:26.509-05:00

The White Sox enjoy another convincing win. They retake sole possession of first place. And the once-suspect offense clobbers four more home runs to add to their major league-leading total, forcing even those Central Scrutinizers of the South Side, Tribune sports, to admit the game was a "home run parade" for the club.You wouldn't know it from Mark Gonzales' lede in his game story. After pulling

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-66601075754178270642008-08-15T11:54:00.006-05:002008-08-15T19:36:33.241-05:00

Dave Van Dyck witnessed history yesterday.A quirky bit of history, yes, but history nonetheless. White Sox hitters Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez, and Juan Uribe hit consecutive home runs in the sixth inning of Thursday's win over the Kansas City Royals.Those of us who weren't there or watching the game are reliant on Tricky Van Dyck to provide the core details that put us right there in

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-66653911742524713422008-08-10T09:38:00.005-05:002008-08-10T12:40:14.826-05:00

That fella sporting the vampiric byline and all the cuddliness of a soggy blanket, Dave Van Dyck, got the call to write up Saturday night's White Sox game story. Good news for codgers everywhere; lousy news for White Sox fans.In just the past couple of weeks, Tribune lede distortions have hit an all-time high. Just two examples: When the White Sox won a 14-inning thriller August 5, the lede

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-65486894302134253022008-08-06T10:43:00.004-05:002008-08-06T11:09:16.283-05:00

We'll give White Sox beat writer Mark Gonzales the benefit of the doubt. After all, last night's comeback victory ended just after midnight, apparently well past the bedtime of the hard-core former West Coaster.How else to explain this, the most inappropriate lede in a season (still just two-thirds over) filled with them.The White Sox's best cure for shaky starting pitching Tuesday night was

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-20270749819016646672008-08-06T08:50:00.009-05:002008-08-06T10:42:21.314-05:00

This past Sunday, Tribune "baseball expert" Phil Rogers continued his man-crush on that fallen angel of a Cleveland Indians GM, Mark Shapiro. When Dr. Phil isn't stumbling over himself to prognosticate a first-place finish for his beloved Wahoos, he's praising every last one of Boy Wonder Shapiro's deft and cunning moves.The latest effusiveness, headlined Indians strip down and stock up, says

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-3531558026122776172008-07-27T08:31:00.004-05:002008-07-27T10:09:48.903-05:00

Since the All-Star break, the Tribune has been writing its White Sox game stories with a sense of inevitability.No, not the inevitability of the White Sox winning the AL Central, but rather the team losing its lead. Day after day, win or lose, the length of the White Sox's division lead is prominently mentioned in the game story, if not in the lede.But Sunday's writeup by Mark Gonzales is the

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-63668777091777356292008-07-14T11:32:00.002-05:002008-07-14T11:37:37.352-05:00

From today's Tribune:Tribune Editor ResignsChicago Tribune Editor and Senior Vice President Ann Marie Lipinski announced her resignation today, a week after the paper announced significant cuts to its newsroom staff and a reduction in the number of pages it prints each week. Gerould W. Kern, who has been Tribune Publishing's vice president of editorial since 2003, was named Lipinski's successor

Chicago Cubune Watchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-21103620847650376802008-06-26T15:53:00.004-05:002008-06-26T16:10:59.245-05:00

The Tribune's Editorial Bored has admitted that "The future of our parent company—conceivably, the future of our jobs—rests to some unknowable extent on the successful sale of the Cubs and Wrigley Field, and the resulting reduction of corporate debt. " And perhaps that explains why the Editorial Bored seems to go out of its way to mention the Cubs whenever possible, regardless of the actual topic

Chicago Cubune Watchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-27569442907264531952008-06-08T20:46:00.007-05:002008-06-10T14:23:22.873-05:00

Phil Rogers, the Tribune "baseball expert" who picked Detroit (currently the 26th-best team in the majors) to win the Central Division this year, is so desperate to drag down the White Sox that he creates two new presumed fictions in his "Whispers" column in Sunday's Tribune.Rogers quite fairly trashes Detroit Tigers infielder Miguel Cabrera, whose marks of .218 with runners in scoring position

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-4443056543689616602008-06-08T10:18:00.005-05:002008-06-10T14:41:09.818-05:00

Dave van Dyck was responsible for writing up Saturday night's White Sox game story.(Those of you who just cringed, bonus points for appreciating Tricky Van Dyck's special brand of "writing.")With the White Sox's offense back in full force and scoring outrageous amounts of runs, you'd think Tricky V.D. would shoot right out of the gate with a delicious lede. Perhaps he'd mention Joe Crede's four

Chicago Cubune Watchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-40493945996696067242008-05-22T19:27:00.004-05:002008-05-22T23:20:52.978-05:00

ESPN, the Chicago Sun-Times, and MSN.com all reported that Wednesday night's game at U.S. Cellular Field was a sellout.The Tribune was the lone dissenter, reporting the crowd at Wednesday night's game as a "near sellout."Apparently the Tribune's interpretive attendance translates into sellouts being sellouts only if they happen at Wrigley Field.How often do you think the Tribune calls a Cubbies

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-47529613249524306812008-05-22T10:02:00.008-05:002008-05-22T17:46:08.782-05:00

There's been a trend of late in the Tribune Sports section. It's not anything new, just the typical downplaying of White Sox success that we've all come to understand is part of the Tribune's mission. But in the course of a seven-game winning streak, the Tribune's distortion of reality has become more glaring and obvious that usual.First, a pop quiz: Which Chicago baseball team in first place on

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-46158680824567485642008-05-16T09:55:00.005-05:002008-05-16T10:18:28.206-05:00

It only took four weeks, but a Tribune writer finally has acknowledged the Kosuke Fukudome "Horry Kow" T-shirts being sold outside and worn into Wrigley Field by supposed Cubbies fans. ChicagoSports.com blogger Rahula Strohl had previously written on the controversy, his criticisms of the shirts getting him barbecued as "politically correct" and worse in comments from CS readers. But the core

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-61025801044719914662008-05-05T08:01:00.003-05:002008-05-05T09:03:32.111-05:00

A week ago in Phil Rogers' "Power Poll" feature on ChicagoSports.com's "Hardball" blog, the 14-10, first-place White Sox ranked No. 4. The 16-9, first-place Cubs ranked No. 3.Both teams had a rough week. The White Sox took the collar, losing the five games between polls, and falling to second place. Dr. Phil rightfully spanks the punchless Sox down to No. 11 in his poll. He also makes the

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-39705380346960413542008-05-02T13:36:00.005-05:002008-05-02T14:05:38.492-05:00

Cell Trounces Wrigley Again in SI Fan PollThe White Sox play in the eighth most popular ballpark in America, according to Sports Illustrated's annual fan poll, while Wrigley Field (that "sacred garden" revered by the people who own it and their army of pajama-clad followers) finished 15th. The Cell consistently stomps on Wrigley in that poll, but the Tribune always finds a way to circumvent the

Chicago Cubune Watchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-24790078189060925132008-05-01T14:11:00.005-05:002008-05-01T22:35:34.284-05:00

Paul Sullivan was lucky enough to witness a 19-5 pasting of the Brew Crew last night. But apparently he was too distracted by the presence of Mark Cuban in the park to bother fully researching his own writing. An excerpt from his game story:[Geovany] Soto has 20 RBIs in April, the most for a Cubs rookie since records began being kept in 1956.Wait a just a second. "Records began being kept?" Isn't

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-19881756772436936762008-04-28T10:58:00.006-05:002008-04-28T11:28:12.762-05:00

On page 5 of the Tempo section in today's Tribune we find a charming feature about some people who built a one-third-size replica of Wrigley Field in Freeport, IL. But we don't know anything about those people except for one name — Denny Garkey — and the word "organizers." And the story doesn't tell us anything about the community that hosts the field. Instead of emphasizing the people who built

Chicago Cubune Watchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-86859886526240461582008-04-24T12:14:00.003-05:002008-04-24T13:01:17.872-05:00

It's pretty clear how the Tribune behaves when its Cubbies are playing poorly, trumping up every meaningless accomplishment and downplaying the achievements of the crosstown rival. And last fall, we saw the latest example of how the Tribune will try to huff and puff and blow the Cubbies into the World Series.Considering how much time and effort the Tribune has expended over the years to convince

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-75112109850865339192008-04-22T11:58:00.004-05:002008-04-22T12:44:39.209-05:00

The White Sox have flown out of the gate, resting comfortably in first place at 11-7, already 2.5 games in front, and 4.5 and 5 games ahead of supposed world beaters Cleveland and Detroit. This in spite of a .242 team batting average and two starters, Paul Konerko and Juan Uribe, batting well south of the Mendoza Line.So, naturally, it's time for a White Sox mailbag that accentuates the positive,

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912199.post-69519204964266047962008-04-22T00:07:00.005-05:002008-04-22T01:10:32.250-05:00

As the prior post confirms and any sports message board of note indicates, yes, apparently there's cause for debate over the racist T-shirt being sold outside and worn inside of Wrigley Field. To some, objecting to a T-shirt depicting Cubs star outfielder Kosuke Fukudome as a slant-eyed mockery out of the Mickey Rooney school of caricature is tantamount to political correctness gone wild. Perhaps

Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09831809918500830086noreply@blogger.com