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Author's Synopsis
“Sirens in the Loop” traces the rise and legacy of the City News Bureau of Chicago, the legendary news wire service that shaped generations of reporters and defined the city’s gritty journalistic identity.
Through vivid storytelling, the book explores its founding, its relentless “If your mother says she loves you, check it out” ethos, and the countless scoops, scandals, and characters forged in its chaotic newsroom. From crime scenes to city hall, it chronicles how the bureau’s demanding culture sharpened young reporters’ instincts and left an enduring imprint on American journalism.
“Co-authored by veteran editors Paul Zimbrakos and James Elsener, the narrative traces the agency’s evolution from its founding in 1890 to its “final” closure 115 years later. It offers a front-row seat to Chicago’s most harrowing headlines, including the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the Our Lady of the Angels fire, and the Tylenol murders. Beyond the hard news, the book captures the "Chicago style" of reporting through hundreds of anecdotes from alumni luminaries like Mike Royko, Kurt Vonnegut, and Seymour Hersh.
The title refers to the "Sirens in the Loop" BULLETINS that signaled immediate breaking news to the city’s media outlets. From the clatter of manual typewriters and pneumatic delivery tubes to the digital age, this book stands as a testament to a bygone era of street-smart, high-stakes reporting that shaped the landscape of American journalism.
Format(s) for review: Paper Only
Review genre: Nonfiction—History
Pages/Word count: 272 / 75,000