I was on edge this weekend as I watched the steady stream of updates from the streets of Chicago and the suburbs from the tireless, dedicated journalists of the Chicago News Guild. If, like me, you saw or read something in the news about the chaos in our community this week that shocked, pained, outraged or moved you, remember that a reporter or photographer put themselves at risk to show you what was happening on the streets.
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> Whether you are hunkered down in your home or out in the streets yourself, we owe a debt to journalists who are documenting and providing context to events even as they unfold. Journalists know that scenes like the ones we all have seen this week cannot be reported on from a “safe” distance, nor do they expect their safety to be prioritized above anyone else at the scene of a mass protest. But it was disheartening to me to see instances in other cities where police appeared to single out news reporters and photographers who were only trying to do their jobs.
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> It was also sad to see Tribune Guild members tweeting that they were being sidelined by furloughs in the midst of a huge, breaking news story sweeping across our area. Again, the courageous reporters and photographers in the CT Guild only want to do their jobs, and Tribune Publishing should end their furloughs immediately and invest in coverage a historic moment. Now, more than ever, we are depend on the work of journalists. Let them do their work. Be safe, NewsGuild.

Grace Catania President Chicago News Guild Local 34071