Journalists address media responsibility, LGBTQ+ reception at DePaul, and migrant processing centers
Plus, a deadly crash on I-55
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team — Kate, Hailey, Cary, Anna, Isabella, Lauren, Monique and Abena — here with our weekly newsletter.
Last week, PBS NewsHour’s Judy Woodruff and NBC Chicago’s incoming Senior Vice President of News Sally Ramirez sat down with 14 East to talk about news coverage going into the 2024 presidential election. At DePaul, learn which students will speak at the upcoming commencement ceremonies. Plus, this week’s recommendation takes you to Urbanbelly for “dumplings, booze and bowls.”
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Let’s get into the news.
Judy Woodruff and Sally Ramirez on Media Responsibility: “Transparency, Transparency, Transparency”
By Hailey Bosek
The 2024 presidential election is nearing, and the media's role in elections is constantly being examined by both politicians and voters. In an era of media mistrust and disinformation, the 2024 race for president will have journalists fighting for the trust of their audiences. PBS NewsHour Anchor and Managing Editor Judy Woodruff and NBC Chicago’s incoming Senior Vice President of News Sally Ramiez sat down with 14 East to give their thoughts on reporting on the next nationwide election.
Woodruff has been reporting on politics since the 1970s. From Jimmy Carter to Donald Trump, she has seen it all. However, she says the last two elections have seen an era of mistrust and disinformation like never before. Woodruff explained that in order to gain the trust back, journalists have to continue to put the truth first.
“It sounds obvious, it sounds boring, but we need to work our little hearts out every single day to make sure we're getting the stories correct,” Woodruff said.
Ramirez and Woodruff have dedicated their entire careers to delivering accurate stories with honest portrayals of the community they cover. Ramirez believes that delivering trust back to these communities also means covering the issues that matter.
“Really staying focused on the topics and the issues that matter and not being distracted by whatever either side's gonna throw in because it's sexy,” Ramirez said. “Where does that matter to the voter in the future of our country?”
Delivering top nationwide news has dominated Woodruff's career. However, she says approaching coverage in the political atmosphere has been especially difficult with the mistrust of the media, along with the rampant misunderstanding of what “the media” actually means.
“I want the public to understand when we say the media, we're talking about everything from the Associated Press to some blog that somebody started last week,” said Woodruff. She explained that the majority of legacy newsrooms are filled with people passionate about the truth and the pursuit of honest portrayals of the news around them.
Ramirez also feels that a blurred line between commentary and news has been detrimental to media literacy for the public. The uptick of political commentary by news networks and on-air media personalities has made reporting facts more difficult for Woodruff and Ramirez.
“Talking about the facts and weeding out opinions is more important than ever for journalists, true journalists, to do their job and stay away from opinion. Talking Heads are just gonna yell at each other,” said Ramirez.
Political commentators are more popular than ever. While recent controversies and a court case have brought to life the issues with defamatory news production, the popularity of tv commentators are apparent, with the firings of Fox News’ Tucker Carlson and CNN’s Don Lemon after reigning at the top of cable television for years. This development of our culture makes Woodruff and Ramirez scared for news consumers.
“I feel sympathy for so many news consumers today because they've got a harder time determining what's what they can trust, what they can believe and what they can't. And a lot of people, as you know, are now getting their information from completely alternative news sources. And they're coming up with conspiracy theories,” said Woodruff.
The height of the presidential election will soon be underway, and continuing to battle these conspiracy theories will be no easy task for even the most experienced of reporters. The bid for the Oval Office has Biden running for reelection, Trump gunning for a non-consecutive second term, and other prominent republicans including Florida Governor Ron Desantis are expected to run. The past years of political coverage have made both Ramirez and Woodruff evaluate how reporters can best tackle their coverage whilst trying to maintain the trust of the public. How to report fairly and how to maintain equal coverage of all opinions, regardless of factual validity, are the tough questions being asked of those working in journalism, like Ramirez and Woodruff.
“It's so tough right now. Because when you have people running for office who just have an alternative set of facts that they're basing their views on,” Woodruff said. “ I think all we can do again is report what people are saying and then report what we know to be the case, the facts, and let the audience decide.”
Kate Linderman contributed to this report.
DePaul News
By Cary Robbins
DePaul’s Global Conversations, discussions with international partner schools
The DePaul community is invited for the last couple of days of the Global Conversations event, where students of international partner institutions join together in a 90-minute Zoom session to discuss global topics. Students from partner universities in Brazil, Mexico, Australia, India, Nigeria and more will be attending these sessions, where people will have “meaningful discussions on how global issues affect various academic disciplines and industries, such as psychology, public health, business and more,” according to DePaul’s Global Engagement website. Read here to learn more about the last few zoom sessions.
DePaul plans to protect faculty and staff despite rising cost of COVID-19 vaccines
The federal government is set to end the federal public health emergency, which was put into place at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and affected people’s health care insurance coverage. After May 11 and the end of the emergency, people will have to pay fully or partially depending on insurance for their own COVID-19 tests, according to an article in NPR. The university is offering certain coverage for COVID-19 vaccines for employees enrolled in DePaul’s HMO, PPO and CDHP plans. It will take effect May 11. To read more, click here.
Reception for LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff
On May 2, DePaul’s LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Network is holding a mixer reception to welcome faculty and staff members who identify as LGBTQ+. The event will be held in the Theatre School lobby from 4-6 p.m. Anyone is able to join the event if they want, as long as they “are committed to creating an affirming campus environment for LGBTQ+ individuals,” according to the DePaul Newsline. They ask everyone who plans on attending to register online. You can learn more about the event here.
DePaul names seven student commencement speakers
The university announced that there will be seven student speakers for the commencement ceremonies in May and June. The College of Law will host a graduation on May 20 at the Chicago Theatre, while students from the other nine colleges will graduate at the Wintrust Arena on June 10 and 11. A student speaker will be featured at each ceremony. This year’s speakers are: SaDella Duval d'Adrian, College of Law, Gautam Bhoyrul, Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, Keslie Carrión, Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media, Julio Antonio Cortes, College of Education, Maha Khan, College of Science and Health, Lauren Lloyd, Driehaus College of Business and Mary Katherine Pryce, School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Read here to learn more about each speaker and more about graduation ceremonies.
Lastly, here is your weekend sports update (April 28-30):
DePaul’s softball team won 5-2 against Connecticut on Friday.
DePaul’s softball team won 3-2 against Connecticut on Saturday.
Shane Knanishu won first place in men’s track 1500 meter race and set a new school record on Saturday.
DePaul’s softball team lost 4-3 against Connecticut on Sunday.
DePaul’s golf team finished in eight-place at the BIG EAST Men’s Golf Championship on Sunday.
Chicago Headlines
By Anna Retzlaff
Deadly I-55 crash caused by dust storm outside Springfield — On Monday afternoon, at least six people were killed with over 30 injured in a large Interstate 55 crash in south-central Illinois near Farmersville, outside Springfield. The vehicles involved totaled up to 90, according to Illinois State Police. Authorities estimated 30 commercial vehicles and 40 to 60 passenger cars were involved. Both directions of the highway shut down between Divernon and Farmersville. The National Weather Service issued a blowing dust warning with “Visibility less than a quarter of a mile. Visibility can become zero at times,” a NWS Lincoln IL Tweet said. The dust could have been caused by tilling, which can be common during the spring, according to NBC 5 Storm Team meteorologists.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot asks Texas Governor Greg Abbott to stop sending migrants — Chicago is preparing for a continued influx of migrants — more than 200 people a day — sent from the state of Texas. On Sunday, Lightfoot sent a letter to Abbott, writing, “I am, yet again, appealing to your better nature and asking that you stop this inhumane and dangerous action.” Lightfoot said the city is at capacity for resources and is struggling to provide for those who have already arrived. On Monday, Abbott wrote back, saying Texas will continue to bus migrants to sanctuary cities, like Chicago. Lightfoot then replied via Twitter, “Shameful but sadly expected.” For more, visit ABC 7 Chicago.
John Robertson picked to be chief operating officer by Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson — Johnson announced Monday morning that John Robertson will serve as Chicago’s Chief Operating Officer once he takes place as mayor. Robertson, a South Side native, recently served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Cook County and has previously worked under former Mayor Richard M. Daley, having served several roles. As the city’s COO, Robertson will be responsible for leading and initiating projects and policies to serve Chicago. FOX 32 Chicago has the news.
National Headlines
By Isabella Ali
Biden administration to set up migrant processing centers — The Biden administration announced on Thursday that it will establish migrant processing centers in Guatemala and Colombia and additional details will be released in the coming weeks. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration will screen migrants at the centers to determine if they are eligible for entry into the U.S. The centers are aimed at providing additional legal pathways while deterring illegal migration. Officials expect to initially screen 5,000 to 6,000 migrants a month. Myah Ward and Jennifer Haberkorn from Politico have the news.
Iran seized a US-bound oil tanker — Iran has seized an oil tanker bound for the United States in international waters. The move is seen as retaliation for the U.S. seizure of an Iranian vessel. The waters surrounding Iran are a significant source of global oil flows, and Iran has recently been seizing oil tankers in the area. In this latest seizure, the targeted ship was not only bound for the U.S. but also owned by China and all of the ship’s crew workers are Indian nationals, potentially complicating the situation. The U.S. has warned commercial ships of the risk of Iranian harassment in the area and has deployed additional military assets in response. For more, visit CBS.
Turkish forces kill suspected leader of Islamic State group in Syria— Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkish forces have killed Abu Hussein al-Qurayshi, the suspected leader of the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria. Erdogan stated that the IS leader was "neutralised" in a Turkish MIT intelligence agency operation. IS has made no comment on the reported operation, and the BBC has not been able to independently verify Erdogan's claim. The BBC has the news.
OPEC and IEA Clash Over Oil's Role in the World— The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the International Energy Association (IEA) have been at odds over the role of oil in the world. OPEC, which represents oil sellers, announced surprise oil cuts, driving a spike in oil prices that angered the IEA, which represents oil buyers. The IEA believes there is no place for new oil projects on the path toward net-zero emissions, while OPEC argues that investment in both fossil fuel and renewable projects is necessary to avoid energy shortages during the transition. OPEC nations produce about 40% of the world's crude oil and hold 80% of the world's proven oil reserves. Investment in upstream oil and gas projects increased by 39% in 2022 due to higher costs. For more, Maha El Dahan from Reuters has the news.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Lauren Sheperd
Hello everyone and welcome back to “In the Loop!” Today, I have another restaurant recommendation for you from inside Time Out Market in West Loop. Urbanbelly is a Korean-style restaurant created by Chef Bill Kim, and even their limited menu in Time Out Market is fantastic.
Urbanbelly is known for three things, according to their website: dumplings, booze and bowls. When I went to their West Loop location, I was able to try one of their bowls. The Korean BBQ Beef Fried Rice was not only delicious but also massive. Whenever I go out to eat, I make it a goal to get leftovers to turn into at least one other meal, and I was able to do that with Urbanbelly. I was also able to try their Caramelized Chicken Dumplings which were also delicious.
Urbanbelly opened its first location in Wicker Park in 2008 and is in the midst of its 15-year celebration. The restaurant is celebrating this milestone by bringing back a different original menu item every two months for all of 2023. Right now, you can taste their Crispy Asian Egg Noodle Soup. According to their website, in the last 15 years, Kim’s “culinary creations have continued to blur the lines of Asian cuisine.” For seven of the last 15 years, Kim has also given back to the community by putting on a Chefsgiving, which provides free Thanksgiving meals to Chicagoans in need.
The Wicker Park location of Urbanbelly is on the corner of Damen and Pierce Avenue, just under the Damen Blue Line stop. For more information about menus, hours and more, visit their website.
Resources
Need resources regarding warming centers, rental assistance, abortion access, COVID-19 testing and vaccines or mental health? Check out our complete list here.
That’s it for today! See you next Monday.
The 14 East Newsletter Team