Trib ombud: Story about rich homes unfair

Timothy McNulty, the public editor of the Chicago Tribune, took issue Monday in his column with an article written by business writer Susan Chandler about the large homes being built by rich families in the Lincoln Park area.

McNulty wrote, “The piece became flawed, in my opinion, when it veered from the reporting of a worthwhile topic to holding the subjects of the article up to ridicule and treated them more as caricatures than individuals.

“Tone and innuendo fueled parts of the story, as it began and ended with a negative and superior attitude that seemed to say ‘Look at The Rich, aren’t you glad we’re not that tacky.’ The article conveyed an attitude of reverse snobbery, of class superiority, against those who could afford to buy up swaths of city lots, take advantage of zoning rules, hire expensive architects and create an enclave by tearing down old houses.

“Though the story noted, correctly, that these houses ‘all but shriek for attention,’ everyone does consider the home, no matter how grand or modest, a personal sanctuary. Though only one of the four families chose to talk with the writer, Susan Chandler, a top business reporter, their views could have been better represented.”

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