Chicago Sun-Times
401 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60611
The only good time to reach the editors at the Chicago Sun-Times is no later than 11 a.m. CST. After noon, it's impossible to get a friendly "hello" out of them and deadlines turn them into a PR nemesis. A common theme among editors is no phone calls and no follow-up to faxes. Although they will not make a "courtesy call" to tell you your pitch is not of interest, they will call you for story possibilities. Follow the "don't call us, we'll call you" method and you should come out unbruised. (Circulation - 1.7 million; demographics - median age - 43; median HHI - $46,221; college educated - 56%; employed adults - 70%).
| Sections | Editors/Lead Time | Methods | Comments |
| Health: Don't pitch policy stories such as hospital mergers or Medicare fraud to this one-page section. The Health section publishes Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday covering patients' personal health stories. Recent stories have portrayed organ transplants and breast cancer research. | Editor, James Ritter, Fax: 312/321-3084, e-mail: [email protected]; Lead Time: one week; breaking stories: anytime | Don't call Ritter and don't even think about leaving multiple messages on his voice mail. "If I'm not going to respond to one call, I'm not going to respond to five." Fax/ e-mail Ritter and he may get back to you. | Ritter is blunt and brisk on the phone. If he's jaded, it's because he is inundated with PR calls while waiting for "an important call on deadline." Ritter has missed too many source calls only to hear those five dreaded words: "Did you get my fax?" Don't, under any circumstances, call to argue with Ritter about why he's not doing your story. He'll tell you only once that he's not interested and then will hang up. |
| Sports: This daily section concentrates on sports-related events, of course, but also covers sports clinics and exhibitions. The staff especially takes to ideas about non-profit events and sports celebrity features. | Assistant Sports Editor, Stu Courtney, Fax: 312/321-9404; Lead Time: one week |
The sports staff arrives at 5 p.m., CST and their deadline is 11 p.m. for copy. So if it's a breaking news story, fax information by about 9 p.m.
Faxing is the only accepted method for the sports department. |
Courtney sides with Ritter and says, "No follow-up calls. Assume we got it." Pitching to the sports staff is beat specific - for general sports features, fax to Courtney. But for celebrity stories, fax ideas to Bill Adee, sports editor; for calendar listings, fax Dan Kayle, sports writer. |
Editorial Contacts at the Chicago Sun-Times
- Main Number: 312-321-3000
- Larry Green, Executive Editor, 312/321-2758
- Steve Duke, Business Editor, 312/321-2157
- Howard Wolinsky, Computer Writer, 312/321-2564
- Barbara Sadek, Food Editor, 312/321-2132
- Roger Flaherty, Education Editor, 312/321-2824
- John Barron, Deputy Features Editor, 312/321-2107