Last year, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot decided she was only going to do interviews with non-white journalists. It what is now becoming a trend among black city leaders, NYC Mayor Eric Adams has indicated he will no longer be fielding questions from white reporters.
Eric Adams recently met with New York lawmakers to strike a deal on bail reform. This meetings were unproductive and Adams got butthurt when the news reported that they were unproductive. During a press conference, he went off on reporters and newspapers for being too white:
“I’m a Black man that’s the mayor but my story is being interpreted by people who don’t look like me. We got to be honest about that. How many Blacks are in the editorial boards? How many Blacks determine how these stories are being written? How many Asians? How many East Indians? How many South Asians? Everyone talks about my government being diversified. What’s the diversification in the newsrooms?” Adams said.
Adams then went on a long rant involving “prisms.”
“My role as mayor is being interpreted through the prism of your reality.”
“You’re writing from your prisms.”
“We’re going to write stories on the prisms that we have.”
“The prism of this young man.”
“The prism of being the first black woman that’s the speaker.”
“Based on the prisms of his realities.”
He keeps using that word. I do not think it means what he thinks it means.
Adams wrapped up all of this prism nonsense by saying the reason why he gets bad press is because he’s black and reporters are white.
“That’s why I’m covered the way I’m covered and I’m not comfortable with it,” Adams said.
And since he’s not comfortable with white reporters asking him questions, he issued this edict:
“Diversify your newsrooms so I can look out and see people who look like me,” Adams commanded.
And if newsrooms don’t diversify, Adams may not talk to white reporters anymore:
“If this is how this is going to be, I’m just going to come in and do my announcements and bounce. Why am I even answering these questions? And it happens over and over and over again,” said Adams.
If he thinks he was getting bad press before, refusing to answer questions from white reporters is unlikely to improve his coverage. It also seems a tad bit racist. I don’t think Mobile, Alabama Mayor Sandy Stimpson, who is white, could get away with refusing to answer questions from black reporters.
The thing is, being the mayor of NYC is the most scrutinized elected position in the country. The press is relentless and even brutal when it comes to the boss of the Big Apple and it’s always been that way. Eric Adams is from New York and he should know that. It’s not personal and it’s definitely not racial.
If he can’t take the news reporting facts about him, he’s got no business being the mayor. If he’s going to cry and drop the race card every time the news gives a factual portrayal of events, he’s going to end up sucking on a shotgun by Spring.
