Chicago Area Reporter Ticketed for Prolific Questioning on Local Flood Handling, Amid Rising Press Freedom Concerns

Hank Sanders, a 23-year-old reporter for the Daily Southtown owned by the Chicago Tribune, faces multiple citations from Calumet City officials, including Mayor Thaddeus Jones who is under federal investigation, for asking persistent questions on city's handling of historic flooding and infrastructural flaws; incident stirs nationwide debate on press freedom.

Hank Sanders, a 23-year-old reporter for the Daily Southtown, a newspaper owned by the Chicago Tribune, was ticketed by officials in Calumet City for repeatedly asking public employees for comments on the city's flooding issues, alleged as 'interference/hampering of city employees'.
Sanders had reported on October 19 that consultants had alerted the city officials about the poor condition of their stormwater facilities before the historic rains in September, which caused serious flooding problems.
Despite all Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests being fulfilled, Sanders continued to contact city departments and employees via phone and email, specifically drawing the ire of Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones.
Mayor Jones, who also serves as the Illinois state representative for the 29th district, is currently under federal investigation for tax issues related to his campaign funds.
This incident has sparked a nationwide debate on press freedom, with Tribune Executive Editor Mitch Pugh calling it 'outrageous' and expressing the Tribune's solid support for Hank and his journalism practice. This controversy is seen as part of wider concerning trend in the US of officials in small municipalities taking actions against journalists, which was formerly viewed as un-American.