Rukmini Callimachi should probably not be a poster child for the journalism profession anytime soon.
In just one tweet, Callimacchi, an obviously proud correspondent for the NYT, brags about her own publication and callously trashes The Chicago Tribune.
Always proud to be a @nytimes reporter. Especially proud this week as I visit Chicago & realize just how gutted @chicagotribune is. Read this piece & ask yourself what other newspaper dedicates this kind of resources to quality reporting? https://t.co/Wpvazga1vH
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 3, 2018
Chicago Tribine reporters quickly threw tomatoes at her.
Michael Hawthorne fired back, saying,
“All respect to the gracious @DavidBarstow and his colleagues for a stellar investigation. That said, I’m proud to be a @chicagotribune reporter — proud of my colleagues who routinely kick ass without the same kind of support from corporate overlords.”
Follower Mickey Alice Kwapis jumped into the fray: “Are you in second grade? You do realize you can be proud of your own work without tearing down your colleagues at other publications, right?”
Josh Noel, a Chicago Tribune beer writer (I’m not joking), wrote, “The Tribune has consistently been a Pulitzer finalist (and sometimes winner) during the last decade and our local coverage is the city’s gold standard. Like most of the industry, we’ve taken some lumps in recent years. But we’re far from ‘gutted.'”
Wendy Fox Weber tried to teach the NYT reporter manners.
“There was no need to tear down another outlet to promote your own,” the Chicago Tribune entertainment editor wrote. “Learn to be more gracious; it will serve you well in life.”
And Chicago Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson sarcastically said this: “Thanks for the excellent drive-by report from Chicago.”
But perhaps it was Chicago Tribune culture writer Steve Johnson who had the best piece of wisdom for her.
“Here’s something not to be proud of: Composing, and then actually thinking it’s a good idea to post, a tacky-ass tweet like this,” he wrote.