The Press

Tribune Held Blago Story

Editor says it had "larger obligation."

The Chicago Tribune was working on a story about "allegations of misconduct" concerning Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich when reporters reached out to the U.S. attorney's office during their own investigation. "On occasion, prosecutors asked us to delay publication of stories, asserting that disclosure would jeopardize the criminal investigation," editor Gerould Kern explained. "In isolated instances, we granted the requests, but other requests were refused." In the case of Blagojevich, they cooperated. "The Chicago Tribune's interest in reporting the news flows from its larger obligation of citizenship in a democracy," Kern said.