State of Shame

"Shame" appeared in banner headlines across Illinois this morning as newspapers provided extensive coverage of the arrest of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The Chicago Tribune said, "Governor faces shocking array of charges -- topped by accusations he tried to auction a U.S. Senate seat." That seat had been held by Barack Obama, who gave an exclusive interview to the Tribune. The Journal Star of Peoria reported that state lawmakers would return to the capital to consider a "plan to take away the governor's power to appoint a new U.S. senator."

The Daily Herald of suburban Chicago used photos to illustrate the accusations against the governor. The Rockford Register Star said, "Blago Arrested," which seemed like old news this morning. But it used as its main art an illustration that incorporated the governor's photo and a note to editorial-page editor Wally Haas written on the newspaper's endorsement of Blagojevich. "Dear Wally, I won't let you down. Rod Blagojevich," the note read.

When a Mayor Goes to Jail

The Detroit Free Press continued its excellent coverage of the city's former mayor today with news that Kwame Kilpatrick is off to jail after pleading guilty to two felonies. Earlier, the Free Press doggedly pursued access to Kilpatrick's text messages. Is a Pulitzer in the newspaper's future? How committed is your newspaper to public access?