Paul Zimbrakos was the legendary editor of the City News Bureau of Chicago who mentored generations of young journalists. Paul demonstrated a keen editorial vision, guiding the newsroom with integrity and a deep respect for factual reporting and timeliness. Paul was a lifelong Chicago resident, a graduate of Austin High School and Roosevelt University. He was a U.S. Army veteran. Paul passed away in 2022. Read More
Sirens in the Loop
February 15, 2026
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$25.00
Sirens in the Loop: A History of the City News Bureau of Chicago provides a definitive chronicle of the legendary news agency. Operating for over a century, the bureau served as the ultimate “journalism boot camp,” training thousands of reporters under the demanding mantra: “If your mother says she loves you—check it out!”
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Paul Zimbrakos
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James Elsener
James Elsener is a veteran journalist and author. During his four-decade career, he has been a newspaper publisher, editor, columnist, reporter, sales manager, and association executive. Elsener began his career at the legendary City News Bureau of Chicago. He later became a reporter with the Chicago Tribune, managed a national newspaper trade association, and founded and owned a regional business publication. Elsener served with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He holds degrees from Western Michigan University and Columbia University (New York). He is the author of two novels. He and his wife, Patricia, a former journalist, live... Read More
Author
Summary
Sirens in the Loop: A History of the City News Bureau of Chicago, authored by Paul Zimbrakos and James Elsener, provides a definitive chronicle of the legendary news agency.
Operating for over a century, the bureau served as the ultimate “journalism boot camp,” training thousands of reporters under the demanding mantra: “If your mother says she loves you—check it out!”
The book captures the bureau’s evolution from its 1890 founding as a cooperative news-gathering source for Chicago newspapers, and later for broadcast outlets, to its final closure in 2005. It explores the unique “Chicago style” of journalism, characterized by speed, accuracy, and a relentless 24/7 pursuit of the story.
Readers are taken behind the scenes of major historical events, including the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, the disastrous fire at Our Lady of the Angels Church in which 92 children perished, and the still unsolved Tylenol Murders.
Beyond the headlines, the narrative is driven by hundreds of anecdotes from alumni—including luminaries like Mike Royko, Kurt Vonnegut and Seymour Hersh, who survived the “unspoken wrath” and guiding hand of veteran editors.
The book details the bureau’s inner workings, from the clattering manual typewriters, the underground pneumatic tube news delivery system to the frantic “bulletins” of “Sirens in the Loop!” which signaled immediate breaking news.
It stands as a testament to a bygone era of street-smart reporting that shaped the landscape of American journalism.