A growing number of media outlets are banning the publication of police mugshots--and in some cases, removing them from digital archives, in the wake of a national reckoning on racial justice that followed the murder of George Floyd last summer in Minnesota. Both the Chicago Tribune and St. Louis Post Dispatch have adopted new policies in recent months. The Tribune announced … [Read more...] about More news outlets stop publishing mugshots in wake of George Floyd protests, national reckoning over race
Midwest
Iowa State ‘tweetstorm’ shows how Free Speech is stretched on college campuses seeking to allow diverse opinions
College Republicans at Iowa State University tweeted after the November presidential election that students should “arm up” and later encouraged students to show up to “Stop the Steal rallies” in Des Moines and Washington, DC. The university has refused to comment on the tweets encouraging students to participate in the Jan. 6 insurrection in DC that left five people dead … [Read more...] about Iowa State ‘tweetstorm’ shows how Free Speech is stretched on college campuses seeking to allow diverse opinions
Some Illinois media outlets push back against late night passage of major criminal justice reform bill
Some news media are smarting from the late night passage of a groundbreaking Illinois criminal justice bill last month that left them without a chance to report on the substance of sweeping legislation that is now before the governor awaiting his signature. Police have launched a media campaign claiming the “dark of night” legislation endangers citizens. But members of the … [Read more...] about Some Illinois media outlets push back against late night passage of major criminal justice reform bill
Statehouse reporters see increased security, new threats after attack in Washington, D.C.
Ever since he started covering the Ohio legislature and governor in the middle of the pandemic last summer, Josh Rultenberg, a reporter for Spectrum News 1, has tried to limit the time he spends at the state capitol building. A National Guardsman stands post at a road closure at East Capitol Ave in front of the capitol on Jan. 17, 2021 in Springfield, Illinois. Gov. JB … [Read more...] about Statehouse reporters see increased security, new threats after attack in Washington, D.C.
After being laid off, Central Illinois photojournalist uses drones to elevate coverage of agriculture
Photojournalist Rich Saal stretched his neck toward the sky as he followed the drone he was flying over the immense Midwestern farming landscape in Central Illinois. Shades of brown and green stretch for miles with precise rows and columns tediously cut out by enormous machines. The scene captivated him, just as his grandfather’s farm did when he was growing up. Most people … [Read more...] about After being laid off, Central Illinois photojournalist uses drones to elevate coverage of agriculture