Lori Lightfoot Says This Is Why Only Allowing Non-White Reporters to Interview Her Was a Good Thing

Julio Rosas | June 11, 2021 10:35 AM

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) continued to defend her policy of only letting non-white reporters interview her, saying it started a much-needed conversation.

Lightfoot said the policy was only for one day, the anniversary of her inauguration, and newsrooms need to do a better job at hiring non-white people.

"Well, the lawsuit is completely frivolous. I’d use a more colorful term if we weren’t on TV. But here’s the thing. I’m the mayor of the third-largest city in the country. I’m an African-American woman, to state the obvious. Every day when I look out across my podium, I don’t see people who look like me. But more to the point, I don’t see people who reflect the richness and diversity of this city."

"So, yes, I started a long-overdue conversation about diversity in newsrooms, in coverage. You all are the mirrors on society. You reflect, with a critical and important lens, the news of the day. You hold public officials like me accountable. You must be diverse. It can’t be that in a city like Chicago, with all the talent that we have, that we can’t find diverse journalists of color," Lightfoot continued. "Of course, we can. What they need is opportunity. And I hope my conversation has pricked the consciousness of the people who do the hiring decisions in media rooms all across the city and hopefully across the country. We’ve got to do better.”