Tracy Baim

Windy City Media Group among top news sites

Among hundreds of Chicago non-traditional news sites, Windy City Media Group (WCMG) was ranked second according to a Chicago Community Trust report issued in June. WCMG was the top-ranked LGBT news site, and the only one in the 60 top sites ranked. WCMG is publisher of Windy City Times and Nightspots, and also produces WindyCityQueercast.com and QueerTVNetwork.com.

See report at: http://communitymediaworkshop.org/newnews/

The report, commissioned by The Chicago Community Trust, surveyed media professionals and users across the Chicago area, and used a complex rating system based on several self-reported statistics, third-party rankings, and a qualitative assessment by Community Media Workshop (CMW).

Several mainstream media sites, for example the Tribune, Sun-Times and TV sites, were not included, but Web sites for NPR, the Chicago Reader and other independent and online-only media were included.

The following is how CMW ranked the top 20:

1: Chi-Town Daily News

2: Windy City Media Group

3: Gapers Block

4: Progress Illinois

5: Windy Citizen

6: WBEZ Chicago Public Radio

7: Chicago Parent

8: Catalyst Chicago

9: Chicagoist

10: Midwest Vusiness

11: CTA Tattler

12: The Beachwood Reporter

13: Newcity

14: The Chicago Defender

15: District 299

16: The Chicago Reporter

17: The Urbanaphile

18: Chicago Carless

19: 600 Words by Esther J. Cepeda

20: Marathon Pundit

This announcement comes just weeks after The Reader named WCTimes the "Best GLBT news source in Chicago" and days after the completion of WCMG's 7th annual Windy City Gay Idol promotion with over 1000 attending Semi-finals and Finals competitions.

Windy City Times is online at http://www.windycitymediagroup.com

See http://www.communitymediaworkshop.org or http://www.newstips.org.

Studs: One of a Kind

There will never be another man like Studs Terkel. He was among the most important writers of the past 100 years, a man and journalist of the people. "Citizen journalist" is a new phrase used to define online, mostly untrained reporters, but Studs was the original Citizen Journalist.

I was extremely honored to receive the annual Studs Terkel Award from Community Media Workshop in 2005. My dad Hal snapped this photo of Studs and me during one of the most memorable moments of my life. He was my hero and role model, and millions of us will mourn his loss.

Terkel was an original in so many fields, as author, reporter, historian, broadcaster, and even an actor. He conquered them all, and he is perhaps best known for his oral histories, allowing everyday people to tell their stories. He was open to all forms of diversity, including the GLBT community. He was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 2001. See here.

The Hall of Fame said an example of his support of the community "was his 1940s participation in the aldermanic campaign of the late Pearl M. Hart, a pioneering Chicago lawyer who was not openly lesbian but whose career mixed representation of countless gay men and lesbians with advocacy for other vulnerable groups such as leftists and the foreign-born."

The Hall also notes that "Within a few years after the 1965 founding of Mattachine Midwest, at a time when the group still had trouble in generating publicity, Terkel aired one of the first radio interviews with its representatives by inviting James Bradford (as its longtime president was known) to be on his show.
In the early 1970s, when a local church that hosted Alderman Dick Simpson’s annual 44th Ward Fair refused to let the fair include a gay organization’s booth, Terkel arrived, saw a gay picket line, spontaneously joined it, then went inside the fair and vigorously denounced the anti-gay exclusion."

Some of Terkel’s books of oral history "have included profiles of lesbian and gay figures such as the late writer and activist Valerie Taylor; the late writer, minister, actor, and activist George S. Buse; Mattachine Midwest’s Bradford; and Mattachine Society founder Harry Hay," the Hall of Fame noted.

Remembering Drake

I attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa from 1980-1984, specifically as a news-editorial journalism major. This was just a decade after Stonewall, but I was quite "out" on campus, writing about it and publishing by own monthly women's newsletter with pro-gay content. I was told I would have a hard time finding a job in journalism because of my being a vocal feminist and out as a lesbian, but all in all I learned a lot from some great journalism professors.

But I have never been back on campus in 24 years. So a few months ago when they invited me back to speak at a big multi-year journalism school reunion, I had to think about it a bit, but then got excited about returning to the place where I had such soul-searching times. I was so torn in college, because journalism was in both my blood (my mom) and environment (my step-dad), and I had been writing since I was 10. My first column was a kid's consumer column in the Chicago Defender, where my mom had been managing editor. But at Drake, I kept seeing my options being more and more limited -- as an open lesbian and a journalist. But it actually helped me realize maybe mainstream journalism wasn't for me in 1984. They opened up my eyes so that when I graduated and my mom heard of a part-time job at GayLife in Chicago, I jumped into an "alternative" path.

When I drove into Des Moines this past Friday, Oct. 24, it was with a heavy heart. I have such terrific memories of Drake. I started the women's soccer team (a club at the time), I was active on many feminist issues, I wrote intensely and constantly for my journalism classes and area newspapers, I typeset on old Compugraphic and Mergenthaler machines (this was prior to desktop computing), and made some great friends. I met my partner of 11 years there in the G-K dorm's outdoor area. Overall, despite taking 13 years to pay off, it was a pretty good college experience. But I also had some bad times, and certainly have a lot of emotions from those formative years, my first away from home.

It was helpful that a friend from those soccer days, Leanne, looked me up when she saw my name on the speaker's list, so we arranged to go to the first event Friday together. Then she took me to a gay bar in town. The one we had gone to while in college (the drinking age was 18 then) was long gone. OPs had been our community center. We could dance, watch drag shows, and feel comfortable in our gay and lesbian skins. This 2008 bar had that small-town feel and both men and women were there, but it was too early for the dance crowds. Leanne drove me around town, seeing the campus and other sites, most of them changed in these 24 years.

Drake was a good school because it was far enough away from Chicago, around 6-7 hours, that family did not just pop by, and I didn't go home much, either. It has a great journalism program, with hands-on teachers and small classes. And now of course they also have a lot of technology.

The panel today was with five of us, all having taken different career paths since our years at Drake. Peter Barber is vice president and account director with DDB Chicago; Kevin Biggins is a staff writer for the new The Cleveland Show, which is an upcoming Family Guy spinoff; Kevin Waetke is communications manager with Wells Fargo; and Joe Wiesenfelder is a senior producer with Cars.com. Our MC, Kathleen Richardson, is director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Drake. It was great hearing the questions of the students, and of my former Dean, Herb Strentz. And it was also great seeing my old professor, Mr. Woodward, who had such a strong influence on me.

What's ironic is that coming back I am one of the few in my class who are still in journalism, when in fact no one thought I could be out and a journalist. But what I learned at Drake is that no one "makes" you a journalist, by handing you some magic wand degree. You have to make your own path, create your own opportunities. And if you can't get a job in journalism, you can still be a journalist in your free time. If journalism is in your blood, then you will find a way to let that loose.

My mixed emotions about being here in Des Moines are still strong. We're going tonight to socialize with more journalism alums. I am happy, looking back, that I chose Drake. College is not easy no matter where you go. But I feel it was the right size, the right program, and the right mix of hard lessons to steady me for the "real" world. Now I have to drive back to Chicago, and face that real world again. That is not easy, given the state of the media world in 2008. It's harder than ever to work as a journalist and survive as a media company. These young journalists probably have a lot of lessons they can teach us, too.

Obama + Tribune = Wow

Even with Barack Obama being a hometown politician, it is truly shocking that the Chicago Tribune has endorsed him for U.S. President. They have gone Republican for more than 150 years, and even though it is under new ownership, a lot of folks thought they'd continue in that tradition.

My late stepfather, Steve Pratt, and my late mother, Joy Darrow, both worked at the Tribune. My mom was forced out in the 1960s because they didn't want her to cover hard news--something she lived for. Steve lasted 29 years and was screwed over when he wanted to leave after my mom died. They don't treat employees much better today. When I would speak to Steve about the Tribune's backing hacks like George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, etc., he in his libertarian way just said that that was the way it was. The reporters and editors at his level just did not have a say in the matter.

So Barack Obama is setting all kinds of records (in fundraising, ad placement) and breaking all kinds of barriers (this Tribune one marks a massive cultural shift). As an African-American male from an inter-racial family, he already rewrote the history books. This Tribune move is simply icing on his cake.

Dykey Hot

Ok, soon after I posted about Rachel Maddow, she's on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, looking even more hot -- and more dykey at the same time.

When I wrote that she was "hot" I also guess I should have explained. Because Maddow is not a traditional babe that a lot of the media put out front, long blonde or brown hair, very feminine. No, Maddow is hot in that smart-babe way, and does not try to hide her sexuality or her butchness. She was even more casual and butched out for Jay Leno, who seemed to take to her charm just like the conservatives.

So it is even more miraculous that she has risen so high so fast not changing her image to be more lipstick lesbian. Yes, she has to wear makeup for TV. But truly, this is a media coup for the ages.

Rachel Maddow: Created in a Lab?

If I had to dream up the first open lesbian to break into hosting a serious and nationally syndicated TV news show, she would not just resemble Rachel Maddow, she would be her.

I think right now that Rachel Maddow is the No. 1 lesbian or gay person in America, maybe the world. Sure there are other gays and lesbians hosting TV shows -- they are just not out! Sure there are other gay and lesbian commentators on these shows, some of them are out, some not. But as an openly gay person, Maddow is the one to beat these days. Anderson, you lost your chance. (And you also try too hard pretending every story has two equal sides. Sometimes a lie is just a lie.)

Why is Maddow No. 1? Because right now, it's all about politics, and Americans can't get enough about all of the ins and outs of the political game. That means Maddow's commentaries on other MSNBC shows, as well as on her own hour of prime time, have a huge influence. She is out and proud, and it's totally beside the point -- she's simply a great journalist and an even better debater.

Maddow is brilliant, charming and hot. And in the TV world, those are all important, especially for women. Some ugly guys can be hosts of TV shows, but what ugly woman gets that chance? She is beating most of the boys at their own game, and she is amazing to watch battling Pat Buchanan and too many other conservatives to list. She knocks them down with her smile, and then pins them with her facts.

MSNBC-TV was quite smart to sign this amazing host (and of course Air America radio had it right first) ... let's see how long MSNBC-TV allows her to remain free. Because she won't take being censored, we know that much, guaranteed.

See her Web site for more about where this incredible woman was hatched. This certainly makes me in favor of cloning.

Media Matters

There are lots of terrific Web sites that cover the elections better than the network TV news shows. Partly because the sites have more space and time, but also because corporate-owned media are having a tough time trying to keep their heads from exploding faced not with doublespeak but triplespeak, quadruplespeak, and more. The perfect example was Sarah Palin simply not answering Charlie Gibson's direct questions. Corporate media thinks there are always two sides to a story. Sometimes, it's just two screaming heads.

Media Matters at http://mediamattersaction.org Media Matters is among my favorite sites to check out to get to the truth of the matter. And they hold the media accountable on many fronts. Check out excerpts from today's press release on how McCain's straight talk express keeps charging right through the truth:

MEDIA MATTERS WRITES: "In recent days, John McCain’s campaign has continued to make claims in ads and stump speeches that have been widely discredited. While much of the back-and-forth of campaigns consists of the contenders arguing about what is true and what isn’t, the claims cited here are not open to interpretation. The statements are clearly and objectively false. This poses a direct challenge to the press. If they are to be the referees of the claims made by the two campaigns, they must impose some sort of cost on a campaign when it persists in spreading falsehoods. This document details some of the McCain campaign’s recent falsehoods, where and when they were debunked, and how the campaign has continued to repeat them nonetheless."

• The Bridge to Nowhere. Almost every time Sarah Palin has appeared in public since becoming John McCain’s running mate, she has claimed that she “told Congress, ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ on that Bridge to Nowhere.” Even after admitting to ABC’s Charlie Gibson that the claim was false, she returned to the stump and began repeating the claim again.

• “Obama voted to raise taxes on people making just 42,000 dollars.” Barack Obama cast no such vote, and his tax plan lowers taxes on anyone making under $200,000. This claim has appeared in a McCain ad and has been repeated by McCain surrogates and spokespeople many times since it was debunked.

• Obama would raise taxes on 100 million Americans. This claim is based on two false assertions: that 401(k) holders would pay more taxes if the capital gains tax were increased, and that Obama’s proposal to increase capital gains taxes affects all taxpayers and not just wealthy taxpayers. Though it was debunked, McCain and his surrogates have continued to repeat it.

• Obama’s health-care plan would “force families into a government-run health-care system.” Obama’s health-care plan is centered on private health insurance and forces no one into any government plan. McCain continues to repeat this falsehood, even after it was debunked by journalists and independent fact-checkers back when he was making the claim about both Obama’s and Hillary Clinton’s health-care plans.

• Obama wants kindergarteners “learning about sex before learning to read.” The legislation Obama voted for actually provides for teaching young children to avoid sexual predators. McCain’s campaign continues to defend the ad in which this claim appears, despite the fact that it has been widely condemned.

• Palin “championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.” McCain, Palin, and their campaign have repeatedly made this claim, despite the fact that Palin requested hundreds of millions of dollars in federal earmarks for Alaska.


Check out Media Matters regularly to get a dose of the truth and to stop your head from spinning from the MSM.

My Crush on Michael Sneed Ends

Ok, well, my crush ended long ago. But when I was around 10 years old, my parents, both Chicago journalists (Joy Darrow and Steve Pratt), hosted and attended hundreds of parties with lots of loud and party-animal journalists. Very drunk ones, mostly. They dragged my sister, brother and I along, and I learned a lot about what journalists were like, what I wanted to be, and what I did NOT want to be. I learned what drinks and drugs to avoid (all of them).

Well, Mike Sneed, now a Sun-Times columnist, was among those older women journalists I crushed out on at around 10 years old (that would be 1973). Please forgive me now.

Sneed kissing the red shoes of Sarah Palin in the Sept. 16 Sun-Times goes a bit far. She tells people to revoke her feminist card because she LIKES Palin. I am sad to say I ever liked her and her chromosomes (Sneed that is).

Of course, Sneed has been on a Republican rant and lovefest for a long time, and she's a columnist not a journalist these days. So she has a right to her opinion. And I DO understand her 42 years of fighting in the macho world of Chicago journalism. My own mom hit the glass ceiling VERY hard at the Chicago Tribune and was forced out in the 1960s when she wanted to cover hard news. So Sneed has a right to be bitter--but not at the high cost of having Sarah Palin's finger on the nuclear button; or having her in the bedrooms of gays trying to cure us; or in the medical rooms of women facing a difficult choice; you name it, I don't want Sarah Palin making a decision for me personally or for the world politically.

A true feminist has ALWAYS understood it is about quality, not just hormones. (Former White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers might be regretting her ill-timed new book Why Women Should Rule the World.) We never wanted just ANY woman in charge ... and while in general women may be more palatable on most issues, that does not mean there are not exceptions. Palin is an exceptional exception, not anywhere near qualified and the worst kind of McCain/Schlafley/Dobson/Limbaugh puppet.

Let's forget about the gender issue they are distracting us with (Arianna Huffington's Trojan Moose again). Let's focus on the issues. Palin is anti-women along almost every measuring stick. Sneed says Palin is "real". What does that mean? We are all real, and Palin is certainly a very real threat. Bush Jr. was sold to us as "real" by people like Sneed, and look where that got us. All the candidates are "real"--some of them just have a bit more reality than others. Obama and Biden are more true feminists than Palin will ever be.