Friend or Foe? The Media Coverage of Chicago’s Public Housing Transformation

Abstract

How does the newspaper participate in public housing reform battles? Contemporary urban theory suggests that the local media tends to support elite actors in their quest for urban growth and redevelopment, but social movement research demonstrates that the press has the power to either help or harm groups. For low-income groups, media attention plays an especially important role. This question has consequences for both urban theory and social movement tactics, but it is unclear if media coverage is biased in any way, what factors motivate the media to pay attention in the first place, and how these factors contribute to both supportive and unsupportive coverage. This paper Lewis, for valuable research assistance. Finally, I express my sincere appreciation to Eileen, Ralph, and Jessica. You continue to inspire me, every single day of my life.