When CBS 2 News producer Ed Marshall interviewed Republican Senatorial candidate Mark Kirk on May 3, 2010, he revealed his bias in the race that pits Kirk against Democrat Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois Secretary of the Treasury, whose family bank, Broadway Bank, recently went bust.

WLS radio in Chicago noted the exchange between Marshall and Kirk and thought it odd. First, here’s a transcript of Marshall’s comment to Kirk that caught WLS‘s attention:

Marshall: “Channel 2’s made a decision. We’re really not going to cover the Senate race if it consistently, only in your terms, is about Broadway Bank. The bank’s been taken over by the government, Alexi’s been pilloried. Tell me: what is your campaign going forward? What are the issues that you are going to tell the voters why they should vote for you?”

Now listen to the WLS’s on-air comments about Marshall’s question here, as a Windy City media mini-fire storm broke out between the two news outlets.

In an effort to defend itself, CBS 2 aired this unedited video explanation – with the emphasis placed on unedited by the CBS 2 teleprompter jockey. The video adds nothing to the transcript of the exchange already posted by CBS. What it does do, though, is record an unidentified reporter asking this follow-up question to Marshall’s.

But wait, I want to go a moment further with that. Can you say today that this campaign no longer has to be negatively about the Broadway Bank but positively about many of the issues you just raised? Can you make that statement?

(An attendee at the press conference identified the person asking the follow-up question as WBEZ Chicago Public Radio reporter Alex Keefe.)

Giannoulias and friend

CBS 2’s criticism of Kirk’s campaign isn’t new. On April 28, CBS reporter Dana Kozlov wrote:

Enough about the bank [Broadway Bank] already. After hearing for months about Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias’ failed family bank, it seems time to look at other issues in the upcoming race. CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov tried to find out what those issues are. But she had to run for the answers.

Seconds after speaking at a lunch hour Wall Street reform rally outside the Federal Building Wednesday, Illinois Treasurer and Democratic Senate Candidate Alexi Giannoulias slipped off the makeshift stage and away from a crowd of reporters.

They ended up chasing him through a crowded building just to ask him some questions about everything but his family’s failed bank.

Giannoulias finally stopped and said he wanted to focus on Wall Street reform and getting people back to work, among other things. It was a start.

The FDIC announced the closing of Broadway Bank on April 23, 2010, so it’s only been a “failed bank” for months if you calculate the time in dog years. Nevertheless, we certainly can’t have reporters “run for the answers.” It’s particularly hard to do when they don’t ask enlightened questions, but instead, wait to be spoon-fed by the candidate of their choice.

Chicago is a one-party town. Much of the media there likes it that way.