Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will grant interviews only to 'Black or Brown journalists,' local reporters say

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Media top headlines May 18

Sen. Tom Cotton saying the Associated Press has to account for working in the same building as Hamas and more round out today's top media headlines.

Reporters out of Chicago are alleging that Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot is now granting interviews only to journalists of color. 

NBC 5 Chicago political reporter Mary Ann Ahern took to Twitter on Tuesday to mark the "midway point" of Lightfoot's first term in office and apparently acknowledged her failed effort to land an interview. 

"As ⁦@chicagosmayor reaches her two year midway point as mayor, her spokeswoman says Lightfoot is granting 1 on 1 interviews - only to Black or Brown journalists," Ahern tweeted. 

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And apparently, Ahern wasn't the only one. 

"I was told the same thing," WTTW Chicago Tonight anchor and correspondent Paris Schutz reacted to Ahern's tweet.

"I can confirm," Chicago politics reporter Heather Cherone similarly tweeted.

It is unclear when such a practice was enacted and if it only applies to local reporters, particularly after her MSNBC appearance with Stephanie Ruhle on Monday.

Lightfoot was slammed on social media, facing allegations of racism for choosing to speak with journalists solely on the color of their skin. 

The Chicago mayor appeared to confirm the practice on Twitter. 

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"It's a shame that in 2021, the City Hall press corps is overwhelmingly White in a city where more than half of the city identifies as Black, Latino, AAPI or Native American," Lightfoot wrote on Wednesday. "Diversity and inclusion is imperative across all institutions including media. In order to progress we must change."

She continued, "This is exactly why I'm being intentional about prioritizing media requests from POC reporters on the occasion of the two-year anniversary of my inauguration as mayor of this great city. This is an imbalance that needs to change. Chicago is a world-class city. Our local media should reflect the multiple cultures that comprise it… It’s time for the newsrooms to do better and build teams that reflect the make-up of our city."

The Chicago Mayor's office issued a statement to Fox News reiterating Lightfoot's comments.