Chicago Reader"There's a fresh perspective [with
Sam Zell (at left)]," says
Paul O'Connor, a veteran Chicago newsman who broke into journalism as
Mike Royko's legman. More of his observations:
* "The very phrase 'a one-newspaper city' ... says 'small town' in a number of ways, none of which makes Chicago more attractive as a place to live -- or as a place to invest corporate capital."
* "You get generally better news on Chicago from the Economist. They look at Chicago in a thoughtful way. They say, 'These are your problems. I don't know whether you'll be able to overcome them.'"
* "Mike [Royko] was an excruciating writer. Meaning the columns -- when I worked for him -- came out verrrry slowly. Part of the reason for that was that he invested all of his considerable ego in each one. ...He would spend all day and into the night reading the wires and everything he could get his hands on written by his peers, to see if he could get a view into their take on stuff and thereby ensure he would not be writing a dreaded 'me too' piece.'"
