Ben Joravsky tackles Chicagoland politics on podcast
It was a lot of serious laughs joining longtime Chicago political writer and TIF Authority Ben Joravsky on his podcast this past Wednesday with former Tribune political writer Monroe Anderson. Joravsky’s podcast is one of the top discussions on Chicagoland politics
By Ray Hanania
Ben Joravsky’s Podcast Tuesday through Friday is the best podcast series focussing on politics. I know because I’ve been following the show now for months, since he left WCPT AM Radio (who?). His podcast, usually two hours, is hosted by the Chicago Reader and the Chicago Sun-Times.
I joined Joravsky, a longtime political writer — and I mean “longtime”, almost as long as me — on Wednesday to discuss some of the great moments in Chicago City Hall politics with veteran political writer Monroe Anderson.
Joravsky’s program talks about politics not just in Chicagoland but also on national issues, too.
We filled up one hour discussing the administrations of Michael A. Bilandic and Jane M. Byrne, and touched on some of the racial issues. But we never got to fully discuss Mayor Harold Washington or spin off into a discussion about the ups and downs of the administration of President Donald Trump.
The Trump tussle will have to wait for another show with Monroe slamming Trump and me explaining why he was “better” but not best … which is only gristle for more laughs and fun.
You can click here to hear the podcast interview with Joravsky, Anderson and myself, or use the podcast widget below.
The Ben Joravsky Show is streamed from the Chicago Sun-Times studios in the West Loop Tuesdays through Fridays between 1 PM and 3 PM and airs live on the Chicago Reader and Sun-Times websites during that time. It is also being released as a podcast each day after the live taping. The podcast is available on the Reader and Sun-Times sites — and on all other major podcast platforms.
You can also check out my podcast on Chicagoland politics at www.RayHananiaOnPolitics.com.
Who is Ben Joravsky? Are you kidding me!
“I moved to Chicago in 1981 and have been writing about local politics ever since. I started freelancing for the Reader in the early 1980s and became a full-time staff writer in 1990. Over the years, I’ve zeroed in on larger citywide matters, with a special interest in exposing municipal financing scams such as tax increment financing. I’ve also written dozens of profiles and features, including my year with the Roosevelt High School boys basketball team, which was included in the Best American Sports Writing Anthology. I’ve won many journalism prizes, including the 2010 Chicago Journalist of the Year Award from the Chicago Journalists Association and the 2010 Illinois Journalist of the Year Award from Northern Illinois University.”
Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.
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