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'Sun-Times': Cancel That Left Turn (Chicago newspaper says "nevermind")
Editor and Publisher ^ | July 14, 2007 | Mark Fitzgerald

Posted on 07/15/2007 7:46:27 AM PDT by tlb

CHICAGO Conrad Black, who led the thieving band of executives that put the Chicago Sun-Times pretty far down the road to ruin, had just been convicted in a Chicago federal courthouse, but Publisher John Cruickshank had something more urgent to talk about Friday afternoon in the tabloid's offices.

"We're not going to start being a Democratic paper or a liberal paper or a conservative paper or an ideological paper -- we're an independent paper," he said. "We're not going to be a small L liberal paper. We're not going to bind ourselves to a party or ideology in anything."

On Tuesday, the Sun-Times launched a redesigned commentary section with this ringing declaration by new Editorial Page Editor Cheryl L. Reed: "We are returning to our liberal, working-class roots, a position that pits us squarely opposite the Chicago Tribune -- that Republican, George Bush-touting paper over on moneyed Michigan Avenue. We're rethinking our stance on several issues, including the most pressing issue facing Americans today: Bush's war in Iraq."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; Politics/Elections; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: chicagosuntimes; commies; conradblack; cruickshank; enemedia; fifthcolumn; johncruickshank; liberalmedia; marksteyn; msmdeathwatch; nevermind; rats; reds; steyn; suntimes
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I suppose they got bad feedback on their initial announcement.
1 posted on 07/15/2007 7:46:30 AM PDT by tlb
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To: tlb

So four days later, internally only, they state they are not going to take sides?

I’d believe their pronouncement on Tuesday more than anything.

Besides, they have a staff of people who show their inability to be impartial.


2 posted on 07/15/2007 7:50:41 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
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To: tlb
What is “Bush’s war in Iraq”?

Are they referring to the Iraq theater of operations of the war against the Jihadists?

3 posted on 07/15/2007 7:50:44 AM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: tlb

Oops! Editor Reed outed their true intentions and was summarily slapped down. The Trib used to tilt right. Lately neither the Tribune nor the Sun-Times has been remotely conservative. Another case of the left not being able to handle any diversity on their editorial page. When will these rags have their final death exhalation?


4 posted on 07/15/2007 7:51:19 AM PDT by originalbuckeye (I want a hero....I'm holding out for a hero (politically))
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To: BenLurkin

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1866223/posts


5 posted on 07/15/2007 7:52:45 AM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: tlb

This rings hollow. Firing Cheryl Reed would be a first step in turning away from being a shill for the democrat party.


6 posted on 07/15/2007 7:53:03 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: tlb
... the Sun-Times launched a redesigned commentary section with this ringing declaration by new Editorial Page Editor Cheryl L. Reed: "We are returning to our liberal, working-class roots, a position that pits us squarely opposite the Chicago Tribune -- that Republican, George Bush-touting paper over on moneyed Michigan Avenue. We're rethinking our stance on several issues, including the most pressing issue facing Americans today: Bush's war in Iraq."

One does not make such a statement and, overnight, retract it based on conviction...the true motives remain despite the head-fake attempt of Ms. Reed to dampen her words. No, she showed her true colors in the first statement.

"If it quacks like a duck, looks like a duck..."

7 posted on 07/15/2007 7:55:00 AM PDT by econjack
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To: tlb

Did they get a rash of cancelations? The Boston Globe got something like 3,000 cancelations after running internet porn purporting to be photographs of GI’s raping Iraqi women. The reporter who covered the “press conference” where the pictures were released was clearly skeptical and it comes through, and she advised her editor not to run the story. What a nitwit.


8 posted on 07/15/2007 8:00:26 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (I never consented to live in the Camp of the Saints.)
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To: All
Publisher John Cruickshank left out Marxist in his list of things the Sun-Times is not going to be.

Not to worry, Ms Reed covered it: "[we're going to be] squarely opposite the Chicago Tribune -- that Republican, George Bush-touting paper over on moneyed Michigan Avenue."

The definition that the MSM uses to describe a Marxist paper, "an independent paper," hasn't changed during my lifetime. Go after 'dem imperialist daddy warbucks!

"9/11 was our fault," says the independent newspaper.

"Hey! That's our line!" Sacramento Bee.

9 posted on 07/15/2007 8:26:34 AM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: tlb
From today’s editorials in the Sun-Times:

Our progressive voice of reason and passion reflects city’s strength

July 15, 2007
BY CHERYL L. REED Editorial Page Editor
The word liberal carries a lot of baggage, so I’m discovering.

On Tuesday, I announced our new initiatives on the editorial and opinion pages, which include diversifying our board, adopting signed editorials, adding new columns and saying good-bye to others while introducing a more modern format.

Our motive is to engage readers by offering a contemporary commentary section, and part of that involves a return to our progressive roots.

Most of you applauded this move in this very blue city in a very blue state. Like us, you wanted more diversity of opinions, more vigorous debate about the important issues facing our city and nation. Some pleaded with me not to let our editorial board become a collection of knee-jerk ideologues who push “tax-and-spend” solutions. You pointed out that many “liberals” don’t agree with “working-class” folks and wondered how I’d be conjoining these points of view. [excerpt]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/archive/index.html

If Cheryl Reed is just now learning the word liberal carries a lot of baggage, she is overwhelmingly uninformed and not qualified for the position she now holds. I had no idea someone so out-of-touch could become the Big Cheese at a “serious” newspaper. That admission alone should get her canned immediately.

10 posted on 07/15/2007 8:29:48 AM PDT by whereasandsoforth (Stamp out liberals with the big boot of truth)
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To: whereasandsoforth

I have to admit, I was impressed with how many cliches she was able to cram into one editorial.

This was satire wasn’t it?


11 posted on 07/15/2007 8:38:02 AM PDT by guinnessman
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To: tlb
new Editorial Page Editor Cheryl L. Reed: "We are returning to our liberal, working-class roots, a position that pits us squarely opposite the Chicago Tribune -- that Republican, George Bush-touting paper over on moneyed Michigan Avenue. We're rethinking our stance on several issues, including the most pressing issue facing Americans today: Bush's war in Iraq."

"returning to our working class roots". Okay Cheryl, then I guess we were right growing up when we called your paper the Slum-Times. But avoiding three syllable words like the plague was a bit too much, no? Believe it or not 'working class' people aren't morons.

However, on the news side the Sun-Times is doing a bang up job covering the current Chicago Mob Trial 'Family Secrets' - and investigative reporting on the corruption in the Daley Machine and all the Fed Convictions, plus the Cook County hiring scandal AND the corruption of our idiot Governor, Rob 'I fly to Chicago every day on your dime' Blagoyavich. Who will likely see the inside of a Fed Prison before he sees the next election.

in addition - all the Federal investigation of the RATS and convictions is being carried out by and.or under the 'hated' Patrick Fitzgerald. Who just happens to be the BEST U.S. Attorney Chicago (Northern Dist of IL) ever had. Fitzgerald is also putting the final nail in Chicago Mob's coffin. What he's done and is doing makes 'Crime Fighter Rudy' look like a 6th rate mope in traffic court handling outstanding parking tickets.

12 posted on 07/15/2007 8:42:17 AM PDT by Condor51 (Rudy makes John Kerry look like a Right Wing 'Gun Nut' Extremist)
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To: whereasandsoforth

As if “progressive” hides their agenda. Sorry folks, but that codeword is well known. I guess they’ll be dropping Mark Steyn’s column.


13 posted on 07/15/2007 8:43:03 AM PDT by NonValueAdded (Brian J. Marotta, 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub, (1948-2007) Rest In Peace, our FRiend)
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To: tlb

Conservatives should cancel all the liberal rags. They are not just promoting a difference of opinion they are promoting enemy propaganda and promoting ideas and funding efforts to lower the standing of the United States in the world. They are traitors and useful idiots for the cause of Jihad. They are largely responsible for the stalling of the War on Terror and the continued difficulty in Iraq by fueling propaganda and egging on Terrorist/insurgent elements while doing their best to demoralize our troops and to pierce the support of the American people for the War effort. How many times do you hear them speak with such mock concern and guarded delight at the idea that America no longer supports the War effort? Do not forget that they did everything in their power to produce that result and if that is not traitorous then nothing ever was.

How many poor Muslim Arab children have been emboldened and sent to their deaths on the lies of the New York Times and CNN who parrot the apologetics of terror through their megaphones of Al Qeada calling to prayer millions opening their hearts to what can only be called an insidious evil of complicitness? The War on Terror is not creating new terrorists but I am certain leftist propaganda is and those terrorists are killing our soldiers and countless innocents. It is not only creating terrorists but harming the mental health of our soldiers and our nation.

They have done this before. Vietnam was not so long ago when they pulled the support out from under South Vietnam and sent hundreds of thousands to their deaths and as many as a million into prison camps. Such a result would make the most hardened tyrant smile. Have they ever been held responsible? No, they wrap themselves in the flag as sure if they were wolves donning the attire of docile sheep.

What is unfortunate is the same “useful idiots” that acted as the American promotion wing of the Soviet Union are still in place, still churning out the papers and the nightly news and where they have moved on their idiot children have taken up their posts celebrating Castro and groveling at the feet of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. How hard they work to bring our country to its knees and we still buy their papers?

The time has past where we who love this country can no longer afford détente with the traitors among us.


14 posted on 07/15/2007 9:01:50 AM PDT by Maelstorm (When ideas are considered equal regardless of content, then arriving at truth becomes an accident.)
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To: tlb
without foreign owners controlling our opinions

Yet another shining example of the "progressive" double standard. Had a conservative writer penned those exact words, he or she would have been pilloried by lefties like Cheryl Reed for their supposed xenophobia, racism, and hate speech. But when she uses that phrase it's a different story, and she expects to be applauded by her like-minded coterie...

15 posted on 07/15/2007 9:27:13 AM PDT by Zeppo (We live in the Age of Stupidity. [Dennis Prager])
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To: tlb
I suppose they got bad feedback on their initial announcement.

Yea, broke one of the Union rules. They told the truth for once. Thats not allowed. So back to concentrating on being more biased while claiming to be independent.

I can't help but marvel at Diane Sawyer's experience as a juror, where she was laughed out of the courtroom for declaring that reporters can even tell the truth.

16 posted on 07/15/2007 10:07:34 AM PDT by dalight
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To: KC_Conspirator
This rings hollow. Firing Cheryl Reed would be a first step in turning away from being a shill for the democrat party.

Thats because it is hollow. The publisher was just pissed that she said what she was planning to do.

17 posted on 07/15/2007 10:08:57 AM PDT by dalight
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To: tlb

They played their hand. They may pretend to be “objective” but the truth will out.


18 posted on 07/15/2007 11:41:22 AM PDT by weegee (If the Fairness Doctrine is imposed on USA who will CNN news get to read the conservative rebuttal)
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To: tlb
We are an independent paper; we're just going to be more passionate in our views and more challenging in our opinions

Don't worry, this "more challenging" thing won't apply to Democrats and Progressives.

19 posted on 07/15/2007 11:13:30 PM PDT by RJL
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To: NonValueAdded
I guess they’ll be dropping Mark Steyn’s column.

I believe that was already announced, in the same edition as Cheryl's first going "liberal" editorial.

20 posted on 07/15/2007 11:17:17 PM PDT by RJL
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