Chicago Reader

The Chicago Reader, published since October 1971, has long been one of America’s preeminent alternative newspapers, having helped define the alt weekly format with its free cover price and thoughtful, often long-form, writing and literary journalism, as well as in-depth coverage of arts and culture, film, music, and food and drink supported by local advertising.

There have been electronic and digital companion products to the print Chicago Reader since 1995, beginning with the SpaceFinder faxback apartment classified ads, voice telephone Matches personal ads, and early website.

The Chicago Reader has been part of the nonprofit news organization the Reader Institute for Community Journalism since January 2023.

I worked at the Chicago Reader from October 1996 to early 2023, as Director of Digital from 2014.

Website: chicagoreader.com

Related tags: Chicago, newspapers, journalism websites, journalism, business models, John Dunlevy, Association of Alternative Newsmedia

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U2 has a charismatic leader without portfolio for a singer, an idiot savant for a guitarist, and about the strongest rhythm section you can imagine. Distinctive and impressive today, they started out scruffy and rather anonymous. … U2 grew up in the 70s watching bombast replace emotion, ritual replace thought, and pretension replace meaning. They watched, that is, rock ’n’ roll becoming stupid and careless, and resolved not to be a part of it. ¶ I know what you’re thinking: so they’re punks. But what’s interesting about U2 is that they aren’t punks, never were.

Bill Wyman, “U2: the grace of another time” (1992)

‘Why protest when they could proselytize?’

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But why protest when they could proselytize? For the reasons acknowledged by Krugman, Brooks, and Page, Trump’s attracting marginalized Americans. Some are racist thugs, but others are victims of circumstance and the very Americans for whom, though apparently not to whom, Bernie Sanders, for one, says he speaks. Why do Trump’s opponents antagonize these people when they could be trying to win them over?

Michael Miner, “Why do Trump protesters get in the face of Trump supporters?”
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Juries are asked to consider whether a defendant committed a particular act; they’re not supposed to decide cases based on evidence suggesting a tendency to commit such acts. ‘Propensity’ evidence—which indicates that a defendant has done similar things on other occasions—is therefore usually inadmissible. ¶ So the jury wouldn’t hear about a shooting by [Chicago police officer Marco] Proano two years after he killed Niko Husband—a shooting that was captured on video. …. ¶ The rule about propensity evidence also applies to alleged victims, so the jury wouldn’t hear about Niko’s criminal record either.

Steve Bogira, “Can a lawsuit deliver justice after a fatal police shooting?”

Behind the Story: “No money for treating the traumatized”

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chicago-reader: Our October 23 cover article, “No money for treating the traumatized,” shares the story of Veronica Coney, and how her family was among a fortunate few who’ve gained access to family trauma therapy after years of exposure to violence in and out of their home. I spoke with writer Steve Bogira about how this … Read more