The Chicago Way with John Kass
A critical local news show that scrutinizes Chicago's political leadership and crime policies.
What This Tone Is Based On
The tone scores on this page come from analyzing how this show covers each political figure it mentions. Below is the breakdown of how many of those reads were positive, neutral, or negative.
Net media tone Hostile across 139 figure-in-episode tone reads (not audience/impressions).
How The Chicago Way with John Kass Differs from Other Shows
Compared to 172 outlets · Sep 2025–Aug 2026Overall this show runs more critical than the rest of the media — mean tone -0.42 vs the media's -0.18.
- J.B. Pritzker-0.48more critical vs. other showsShow⤓ -0.68Other shows↓ -0.2019 eps
- Zohran Mamdani-0.42more critical vs. other showsShow⤓ -0.49Other shows→ -0.0710 eps
- Brandon Johnson-0.40more critical vs. other showsShow⤓ -0.69Other shows↓↓ -0.3016 eps
Delta = this show's tone toward the figure minus the average across all 172 other tracked outlets that covered them ≥3 times, Sep 2025–Aug 2026.
Positive = friendlier here; negative = harsher.
Editorial Identity
The editorial fingerprint of this center local news show — who it elevates, who it goes after, and where it breaks from the pack.
The Chicago Way with John Kass is a center-leaning local news program that focuses heavily on critiquing Chicago's political figures and policies, particularly in relation to crime and public safety. The show often takes a critical stance towards local leaders like J.B. Pritzker and Brandon Johnson, emphasizing their perceived failures in governance. It operates with a strong emphasis on policy and competence, frequently discussing government ethics and corruption.
The show consistently attacks figures such as J.B. Pritzker and Brandon Johnson, often associating them with negative outcomes in crime and public safety. It also critiques national figures like George Soros, linking them to local policy failures. The program is particularly harsh on issues like taxes and government spending, reflecting a critical view of current fiscal policies.
The Chicago Way with John Kass stands out for its intense focus on crime and public safety, covering these issues significantly more than the average media outlet. Its framing is distinctively critical, especially towards local leadership, with a tone that is more negative than the media average for figures like J.B. Pritzker and Brandon Johnson. This critical approach is a hallmark of the show's editorial identity.
Who The Chicago Way with John Kass boosts and attacks
Tracked figures split by this show's average tone toward them, each with the clips behind the call — tap a quote to jump to the audio.
The Chicago Way with John Kass's prime targets are J.B. Pritzker, Brandon Johnson, Zohran Mamdani.
“J.B. Pritzker, for all of his, again, sort of moral grandstanding about Minneapolis has, as far as I know, refused to even say her name, has never acknowledged or recognized her.”
“I think this is a game, especially for J.B. Pritzker. He's in it for the game. He doesn't care about Illinois or Illinois citizens.”
“Why haven't I seen any news stories or editorials condemning Tony Preckwinkel or Governor J.B. Pritzker or the Safety Act, which let this guy out.”
“the only reason brand johnson became mayors because it was a DEI move because he was the perfect eloquent-esque black guy who could run as the head of this movement.”
“Brandon Johnson says, you're a racist. I'm not answering your question. that's it that's the only answer you get.”
“I don't think Brandon Johnson can find the best way out of a paper bag.”
“That was Zohran Mamdani's speech. Right. His fourth of July speech was, you know, what an awful country it is.”
“if Zohran Mamdani wins in New York, and if the Democrat wins in either New Jersey or Virginia or both.”
“Zohran Mamdani has never run anything larger than a two-car funeral. He's a young guy with no management experience whatsoever, and all of his policy ideas are proven failures.”
Coverage Volume
Transcribed episodes per week — last 26 weeks
Sentiment Trajectory
Average weekly tone toward figures — green favorable, red critical
Top Issues The Chicago Way with John Kass drives
Top Issues ranked by lift — how much harder this show pushes an issue than the average outlet. ≥ 1.25× over-indexes.
The Chicago Way with John Kass pushes Education hardest — 7.7× the average outlet's rate of coverage.
Show organizations & places →Organizations & Places They Focus On
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