Daily Southtown
Encyclopedia
The SouthtownStar is a newspaper
of the Chicago, Illinois metropolitan area that covers the south suburbs of Chicago and the South Side
neighborhoods of the city - a wide region known as the Chicago Southland
. Its popular slogan
is "People Up North Just Don't Get It" (a pun
). It is published by the Sun-Times Media Group
.
community to the west end of the city in Garfield Ridge
in 1968. In 1986, the Economist was purchased by Pulitzer Publishing
; they renamed the paper the Daily Southtown in 1993, but sold the paper to the American Publishing Company
the next year. The paper relocated to suburban Tinley Park
in 1997.
On November 18, 2007, the twice-weekly neighborhood newspaper, The Star (Tinley Park)
was merged into the Daily Southtown to create the SouthtownStar, which is circulated daily with a special Neighborhood Star pull-out section on Thursdays and Sundays.
The paper maintains bureaus in Chicago city hall and the city's federal courts building.
Like its larger counterparts, the newspaper also entered into the broadcasting business in 1925 with a license to operate radio station WBCN. WBCN started broadcasting on 1130kHz from the paper's offices at 65th and Halsted. They soon entered into an agreement of time-sharing of the frequency with radio station WENR, then owned by the All-American Radio Company. By the next year, both stations had moved to 1040 kHz, still retaining their time-sharing agreement. By 1927, Chicago financial magnate Samuel Insull
had become interested in both WBCN and WENR. Insull, who had been a founder of station KYW
, sold his interest in the station. His newly-formed Great Lakes Broadcasting bought them both, and moved them on the dial to 870 kHz. When Insull's fortune began to disappear, he sold the licenses of both radio stations to National Broadcasting Company in 1931. The two were officially merged with WBCN leaving the air in early 1933.
The paper also won the Illinois Associated Press Award for General Excellence in 2006, the national Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize for Distinguished Education Reporting
, and the Chicago Headline Club's Watchdog Award for Reporting in the Public Interest.
In 2010 photo editor Larry Ruehl and staff photographer Matt Marton received the Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalist for feature photography.
Award for journalistic excellence for writing from a grassroots perspective, and has received several Peter Lisagor
Awards for commentary.
Of his most recent Lisagor win in 2006, the judges wrote: "His writing is absolutely clean. ... No personal vanity, and eyes open to the world and the ordinary people who are so extraordinary in it."
Many noteworthy reporters have passed through the Southtown. Former education reporter Linda Lutton helped bring down a corrupt school superintendent, getting him sent to prison. In 2004 Lutton won the Studs Terkel award as well, for her writings on housing, education, crime and public safety, culture and politics.
The late Kevin Carmody, environment reporter, won a 1999 George Polk
Award -- one of the nation's most prestigious prizes in journalism -- for his stories on the official cover-up of the illness and death of employees exposed to toxic metals decades ago in A-bomb factories. His series "Deadly Silence" revealed how hundreds of scientists, tradesmen and secretaries at a Manhattan Project
lab at the University of Chicago
were carelessly exposed to the toxic metal beryllium, then for 45 years intentionally kept in the dark about the potentially deadly health consequences.
Cornelia Grumman, a 1993 Pulitzer Prize
winning editorial writer at the Chicago Tribune for her death penalty editorials, was a reporter at the Southtown. Cathleen Falsani, author of The God Factor and now the religion reporter for the Sun-Times, got her start in newspapers as the religion beat writer for the Southtown. Other writers who cut their teeth on the news business at the Southtown include the Mark Konkol
of the Chicago Sun-Times, author-blogger-columnist Allison Hantschel and David Heinzmann of the Chicago Tribune.
The newspaper also featured the late sports columnist Bill Gleason. Gleason was known for his ever-present cigar and willingness to criticize anyone in the field of sports.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
of the Chicago, Illinois metropolitan area that covers the south suburbs of Chicago and the South Side
South Side (Chicago)
The South Side is a major part of the City of Chicago, which is located in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Much of it has evolved from the city's incorporation of independent townships, such as Hyde Park Township which voted along with several other townships to be annexed in the June 29,...
neighborhoods of the city - a wide region known as the Chicago Southland
Chicago Southland
The Chicago Southland is the suburban region south and southwest of the City of Chicago, made up of approximately 70 municipalities. This region has been known as the Chicago Southland by the local populace and regional media for about 20 years....
. Its popular slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
is "People Up North Just Don't Get It" (a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
). It is published by the Sun-Times Media Group
Sun-Times Media Group
Sun-Times Media Group is a Chicago-based newspaper publisher. It is known for its prior association with controversial Canadian businessman Conrad Black.-History:...
.
History
Founded on September 11, 1906, the Southtown celebrated its 100th year as a paper in 2006. Originally called the Englewood Economist, it was retitled the Southtown Economist in 1924 and began publishing twice weekly. The newspaper relocated from Chicago's EnglewoodEnglewood, Chicago
Englewood, once known as "Junction Grove" , is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago. At its height, over 97,000 people lived in its approximately 3 square miles , but the neighborhood's population has since dropped dramatically...
community to the west end of the city in Garfield Ridge
Garfield Ridge, Chicago
Garfield Ridge is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois, and is located on the southwest side of the city. The northern half of Chicago Midway International Airport is located in this community area.-General information:...
in 1968. In 1986, the Economist was purchased by Pulitzer Publishing
Pulitzer, Inc.
Founded by Joseph Pulitzer , Pulitzer Inc., owned 14 daily newspapers across the United States, and one weekly chain. Its papers included the St...
; they renamed the paper the Daily Southtown in 1993, but sold the paper to the American Publishing Company
Sun-Times Media Group
Sun-Times Media Group is a Chicago-based newspaper publisher. It is known for its prior association with controversial Canadian businessman Conrad Black.-History:...
the next year. The paper relocated to suburban Tinley Park
Tinley Park, Illinois
Tinley Park is a village located primarily in Cook County, Illinois, United States with a small portion in Will County. The population was 48,401 at the 2000 census, and 58,322 in the 2007 census. It is one of the fastest growing suburbs south of Chicago...
in 1997.
On November 18, 2007, the twice-weekly neighborhood newspaper, The Star (Tinley Park)
The Star (Tinley Park)
The Star of Star Newspapers is a twice weekly regional newspaper serving the southern Chicago suburbs. The newspaper covers news in Chicago Heights, Crete, University Park, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Oak Forest, Matteson, Richton Park, Frankfort, Mokena, and New Lenox, among a handful of other...
was merged into the Daily Southtown to create the SouthtownStar, which is circulated daily with a special Neighborhood Star pull-out section on Thursdays and Sundays.
The paper maintains bureaus in Chicago city hall and the city's federal courts building.
Like its larger counterparts, the newspaper also entered into the broadcasting business in 1925 with a license to operate radio station WBCN. WBCN started broadcasting on 1130kHz from the paper's offices at 65th and Halsted. They soon entered into an agreement of time-sharing of the frequency with radio station WENR, then owned by the All-American Radio Company. By the next year, both stations had moved to 1040 kHz, still retaining their time-sharing agreement. By 1927, Chicago financial magnate Samuel Insull
Samuel Insull
Samuel Insull was an Anglo-American innovator and investor based in Chicago who greatly contributed to creating an integrated electrical infrastructure in the United States. Insull was notable for purchasing utilities and railroads using holding companies, as well as the abuse of them...
had become interested in both WBCN and WENR. Insull, who had been a founder of station KYW
KYW (AM)
KYW is a class A AM radio station on 1060 kHz licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. KYW is owned by the CBS Radio unit of CBS Corporation, and has broadcasted an all-news format since 1965. The station's studios are located on Market Street in Center City Philadelphia, and it transmitters...
, sold his interest in the station. His newly-formed Great Lakes Broadcasting bought them both, and moved them on the dial to 870 kHz. When Insull's fortune began to disappear, he sold the licenses of both radio stations to National Broadcasting Company in 1931. The two were officially merged with WBCN leaving the air in early 1933.
Awards
In 2006, the Southtown was named Newspaper of the Year among the nation's large circulation suburban dailies by Suburban Newspapers of America and the American Press Institute. The judges said: "This is a terrific newspaper -- its spot-news coverage is both broad and deep, and its feature stories are as good as those of the country's best newspapers. The newspaper puts a lot of effort into providing value to readers -- and it shows."The paper also won the Illinois Associated Press Award for General Excellence in 2006, the national Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize for Distinguished Education Reporting
Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize for Distinguished Education Reporting
The Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize for Distinguished Education Reporting is the United States' top annual prize for journalism about education. It has been awarded each year since 1972 by the Education Writers Association, the national group for reporters and editors who cover education issues...
, and the Chicago Headline Club's Watchdog Award for Reporting in the Public Interest.
In 2010 photo editor Larry Ruehl and staff photographer Matt Marton received the Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalist for feature photography.
Notable Staff
Among its resident writers is Phil Kadner, who has written a daily column for two decades. In 2002, he won the Studs TerkelStuds Terkel
Louis "Studs" Terkel was an American author, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for The Good War, and is best remembered for his oral histories of common Americans, and for hosting a long-running radio show in Chicago.-Early...
Award for journalistic excellence for writing from a grassroots perspective, and has received several Peter Lisagor
Peter Lisagor
Peter Lisagor was Washington bureau chief of the Chicago Daily News from 1959 to 1976 and was one of the most respected and best-known journalists in the United States...
Awards for commentary.
Of his most recent Lisagor win in 2006, the judges wrote: "His writing is absolutely clean. ... No personal vanity, and eyes open to the world and the ordinary people who are so extraordinary in it."
Many noteworthy reporters have passed through the Southtown. Former education reporter Linda Lutton helped bring down a corrupt school superintendent, getting him sent to prison. In 2004 Lutton won the Studs Terkel award as well, for her writings on housing, education, crime and public safety, culture and politics.
The late Kevin Carmody, environment reporter, won a 1999 George Polk
George Polk
George Polk was an American journalist for CBS who disappeared in Greece and was found dead a few days later on Sunday May 16, 1948, shot at point-blank range in the back of the head, and with hands and feet tied. Polk was covering the civil war in Greece between the right wing government and...
Award -- one of the nation's most prestigious prizes in journalism -- for his stories on the official cover-up of the illness and death of employees exposed to toxic metals decades ago in A-bomb factories. His series "Deadly Silence" revealed how hundreds of scientists, tradesmen and secretaries at a Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
lab at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
were carelessly exposed to the toxic metal beryllium, then for 45 years intentionally kept in the dark about the potentially deadly health consequences.
Cornelia Grumman, a 1993 Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winning editorial writer at the Chicago Tribune for her death penalty editorials, was a reporter at the Southtown. Cathleen Falsani, author of The God Factor and now the religion reporter for the Sun-Times, got her start in newspapers as the religion beat writer for the Southtown. Other writers who cut their teeth on the news business at the Southtown include the Mark Konkol
Mark Konkol
- Early life and education :Konkol was born and raised in Chicago's south suburbs. He graduated in 1991 from Thornwood High School in South Holland, Illinois. He then attended Culver–Stockton College for two years, where he was a starting lineman for the Wildcats football team...
of the Chicago Sun-Times, author-blogger-columnist Allison Hantschel and David Heinzmann of the Chicago Tribune.
The newspaper also featured the late sports columnist Bill Gleason. Gleason was known for his ever-present cigar and willingness to criticize anyone in the field of sports.
External links
- The SouthtownStar official web site