Lightfoot Says She Would ‘Absolutely’ Exclude White Journalists from Interviews Again: ‘I’m Unapologetic About It’

SWISHER Back in May ░░░░░░░░ Lightfoot announced that on ░░░░░░░░ occasion of the two ░░░░░░░░ anniversary of her inauguration ░░░░░░░░ would grant one on ░░░░░░░░ interviews exclusively to journalists ░░░░░░░░ color She faced a ░░░░░░░░ of heat for it ░░░░░░░░ do you feel about ░░░░░░░░ reaction to that You ░░░░░░░░ being sued Some people ░░░░░░░░ prominent journalists of color ░░░░░░░░ it a stunt Why ░░░░░░░░ tell me why you ░░░░░░░░ that Why are you ░░░░░░░░ to me Like I ░░░░░░░░ a white lady LIGHTFOOT ░░░░░░░░ here s the bottom ░░░░░░░░ for me To state ░░░░░░░░ obvious I m a ░░░░░░░░ woman mayor I m ░░░░░░░░ mayor of the third ░░░░░░░░ city in the country ░░░░░░░░ I have a platform ░░░░░░░░ s important to me ░░░░░░░░ advocate on things that ░░░░░░░░ believe are important And ░░░░░░░░ back to why I ░░░░░░░░ to disrupt the status ░░░░░░░░ The media is critically ░░░░░░░░ to our democracy You ░░░░░░░░ this better than I ░░░░░░░░ The media is in ░░░░░░░░ time of incredible upheaval ░░░░░░░░ disruption But our city ░░░░░░░░ press corps looks like ░░░░░░░░ s 1950 or 1970 ░░░░░░░░ I look across the ░░░░░░░░ whether I m in ░░░░░░░░ formal press conference or ░░░░░░░░ m out in the ░░░░░░░░ the reporters who show ░░░░░░░░ are invariably overwhelmingly white ░░░░░░░░ around diversity and inclusion ░░░░░░░░ crucial People that make ░░░░░░░░ hiring decisions have to ░░░░░░░░ focused on diversity In ░░░░░░░░ we have a huge ░░░░░░░░ of diverse media talent ░░░░░░░░ ve got schools that ░░░░░░░░ of journalism that are ░░░░░░░░ in class across the ░░░░░░░░ and I would say ░░░░░░░░ across the world So ░░░░░░░░ absence of journalists of ░░░░░░░░ covering the mayor of ░░░░░░░░ third largest city in ░░░░░░░░ country is absolutely unacceptable ░░░░░░░░ so I decided to ░░░░░░░░ something about it SWISHER ░░░░░░░░ re talking about the ░░░░░░░░ media LIGHTFOOT Correct SWISHER ░░░░░░░░ agree with you I ░░░░░░░░ taught at the University ░░░░░░░░ Chicago You have amazing ░░░░░░░░ journalists studying there that ░░░░░░░░ taught And I agree ░░░░░░░░ the need for more ░░░░░░░░ in media But politicians ░░░░░░░░ t get to choose ░░░░░░░░ covers them Is there ░░░░░░░░ different way to do ░░░░░░░░ talking to smaller outlets ░░░░░░░░ It s not SWISHER ░░░░░░░░ to LIGHTFOOT No it ░░░░░░░░ not about me choosing ░░░░░░░░ covers me right I ░░░░░░░░ exclusive interviews And we ░░░░░░░░ get to choose who ░░░░░░░░ talk to in exclusives ░░░░░░░░ gave exclusive interviews with ░░░░░░░░ of color right One ░░░░░░░░ hour period and it ░░░░░░░░ like people s heads ░░░░░░░░ I had journalists saying ░░░░░░░░ the mayor think I ░░░░░░░░ racist No it s ░░░░░░░░ about individuals It s ░░░░░░░░ systemic racism It s ░░░░░░░░ calling it like I ░░░░░░░░ it and challenging the ░░░░░░░░ of the media companies ░░░░░░░░ in town to do ░░░░░░░░ better job of bringing ░░░░░░░░ of color women into ░░░░░░░░ fray That s what ░░░░░░░░ is about And so ░░░░░░░░ I could have been ░░░░░░░░ and sat back and ░░░░░░░░ well I don t ░░░░░░░░ this I think they ░░░░░░░░ do better but kept ░░░░░░░░ to myself But why ░░░░░░░░ I If not me ░░░░░░░░ I have I believe ░░░░░░░░ responsibility These are issues ░░░░░░░░ I care deeply about ░░░░░░░░ what I heard from ░░░░░░░░ journalists of color and ░░░░░░░░ Black journalists thank you ░░░░░░░░ We ve been trying ░░░░░░░░ have these conversations in ░░░░░░░░ newsrooms with our producers ░░░░░░░░ our president And we ░░░░░░░░ t get traction until ░░░░░░░░ And I ve seen ░░░░░░░░ SWISHER So has it ░░░░░░░░ LIGHTFOOT One of the ░░░░░░░░ journals here SWISHER Would ░░░░░░░░ do it again LIGHTFOOT ░░░░░░░░ would absolutely do it ░░░░░░░░ I would absolutely do ░░░░░░░░ again I m unapologetic ░░░░░░░░ it because it spurred ░░░░░░░░ very important conversation a ░░░░░░░░ that needed to happen ░░░░░░░░ should have happened a ░░░░░░░░ time ago But I ░░░░░░░░ t want just a ░░░░░░░░ I want results I ░░░░░░░░ to see these networks ░░░░░░░░ companies these producers the ░░░░░░░░ makers take this seriously ░░░░░░░░ it s a serious ░░░░░░░░ SWISHER 100 LIGHTFOOT As ░░░░░░░░ said before the media ░░░░░░░░ a very important role ░░░░░░░░ our democracy And if ░░░░░░░░ only voices in the ░░░░░░░░ are white guys that ░░░░░░░░ a problem Because it ░░░░░░░░ SWISHER That covers tech ░░░░░░░░ I m aware of ░░░░░░░░ problem quite substantively LIGHTFOOT ░░░░░░░░ so I m just ░░░░░░░░ we need to have ░░░░░░░░ variety of voices bringing ░░░░░░░░ perspectives to interpreting events ░░░░░░░░ the day so that ░░░░░░░░ have a balanced diverse ░░░░░░░░ to issues If we ░░░░░░░░ have a perspective that ░░░░░░░░ t share the lived ░░░░░░░░ of a city that ░░░░░░░░ 2 3 people of ░░░░░░░░ that does a disservice ░░░░░░░░ our city SWISHER The ░░░░░░░░ is whether it will ░░░░░░░░ I mean I ve ░░░░░░░░ banging on this in ░░░░░░░░ and it honestly hasn ░░░░░░░░ worked I ll tell ░░░░░░░░ it hasn t LIGHTFOOT ░░░░░░░░ if you re not ░░░░░░░░ if you don t ░░░░░░░░ banging on that door ░░░░░░░░ is never going to ░░░░░░░░ It s too easy ░░░░░░░░ say no.