BLACKS STAGE PROTEST AGAINST THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES NEWSPAPER

On Tuesday, Dec. 28th a cross section of leadership from the Black coommunity staged a public demonstration and press conference against the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper at 350 N. Orleans near the Chicago River. African-American clergy, business owners and community leaders expressed outrage over a column written by Neil Steinberg in the Monday edition of the paper.

The column ridiculed mayoral candidate Carol Moseley Braun, Chicago's first Black Mayor Harold Washington, as well as other black politicians, and the newspaper, N'DIGO. Protesters are calling for Steinberg's dismissal and are asking for a meeting with the Sun-Times editorial board regarding allegations that while The Sun Times enjoys significant financial support from majority Black communities that the paper does not reflect the proper staffing of Black reporters or sensitivity when covering Black community issues.

Throughout the early stages of this Chicago Mayoral campaign and the dynamics of candidates and issues of the Black community, that there are no full time Black political assignment reporters or equal balance on Black community issues? How can The Sun Times CONTINUE to benefit from a significant Black readership and financial support to pay the salaries of people like Neil Steinberg to insult the Black community?. The Black community is PAYING the salary of someone like Steinberg to openly insult them?

Veteran Black activist Wallace "Gator" Bradley added that "How can a columnist like Steinberg be given the authority to publicly pass judgement on other people's personal and professional lives when he has documented personal and professional problems of his own?" Bradley said "Steinberg can have his personal insults all he wants on the Black community, but the Sun Times ownership should not be authorizing it, and Black people should not be helping to pay his salary to insult Black people."