(Casey Toner – Online government/political reporter for AL.com, previous local journalist for the SouthtownStar)
“After intense media scrutiny and local activism that followed the murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, the video of his fatal police shooting was released, criminal charges were brought against the officer who shot him, and the officer was later convicted of second degree murder. Chicago’s Police Chief was fired, the mayor decided not to seek re-election after his approval rating plunged, and the city embarked on numerous reforms.“
- “The Better Government Association and WBEZ in January 2018 published a lengthy expose analyzing every police shooting that occurred in suburban Cook County since 2005. We reported that while there was a criminal review after every police shooting, there were almost no reviews to determine whether these officers committed procedural or policy violations, which are far more common. These same reviews occur after every police shooting in Chicago. Months after our series was published, the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill that required procedural investigations after every police shooting.”
- “The media isn’t a monolith and it is composed of a wide variety of people with different perspectives, politics and ideas. Likewise, it is unwise to lump all reporters into the same box. More often that not, people who work in local news are overworked, underpaid and care deeply about good government and their communities. To borrow a line from Abraham Lincoln, “we are not enemies, but friends.” “
(Edited by Emma Lopez)
