EXTRA: A 'rap' about the news?

Is this a “first” in the history of the assorted outlets that attempt to report the news in Chicago – a transaction reported in a rap song?

CHANCE: New 'media' baron?

For it seems that Chancellor Bennett, the entertainer known as Chance the Rapper, has bought the rights to resume publication of the one-time website The Chicagoist – which died last year when its owner closed down partially in response to attempts to organize his web site labor with a union.

IT SEEMS THAT New York Public Radio had acquired the rights to the web site, along with similar sites in other cities. They have since been selling them off to local entities with an interest in resuming publication.

In the case of chicagoist.com, they sold the rights to Social Media LLC, a company created by Bennett to try to promote representation of more non-white people within the local media. He actually released (via the Internet) a rap song with lyrics about his new purchase ("I bought the Chicagoist just to run you racist bitches outta business," he sang, along with, "Rahm you done, I expect a resignation"), then a formal statement about his desires to have control over a media voice.

I can’t think of any past media purchase that quite got the word out through such a means.

It will be interesting to see what plans, if any, Bennett has for use of the new website (and its archives) he has acquired. Will it change much? Will it be The Chicagoist of old?

Two North Side-focused media properties now owned …

IT’S JUST THAT it strikes me change will need to occur because the Chicagoist web site always struck me as one put together by people whose view of Chicago focused heavily on those North Side neighborhoods where white people are in abundance – and the idea of people of color usually referred to the assorted ethnic restaurants one could find up there.

I can’t see how that would continue under new ownership. Not that there’s anything wrong with such change – unless the old readers are determined to reject the notion.

… by entities fully aware of 'black' Chicago

I actually have similar thoughts about The Reader, which the Chicago Sun-Times recently sold to the owner of the Chicago Crusader and its sister newspaper, the Gary Crusader. Those publications most definitely try to cover the parts of Chicago where black people are in abundance and other news outlets often ignore.

Whereas the Reader has always been a publication focused extensively on the north lakefront and where many South and West side residents can’t find a copy anywhere near where they live. Change is in the air, and we’ll have to see if we get a better-informed Chicago populace as a result.

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