As many of you know, the CNB received several awards at the Illinois Press Association last Thursday. It's always a great feeling to be recognized by your peers—a proud moment for our team. But it's more than that.
I've been going to the IPA awards for over 30 years, and it's been sad to watch the numbers dwindle. The robust three-day convention is now a one-day event.
What used to fill the largest ballroom at the Crown Plaza in Springfield—barely room for another table—has shrunk to a quarter of that size, with empty tables scattered about.
Newspapers were still represented, from the largest; Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times to the smallest weeklies. But where did the rest go? And what does it mean for local news and how we get it?
Speakers Senator Dick Durbin, Governor JB Pritzker and Senator David Koehler said the same thing: local newspapers and local journalism are the backbone of democracy. The work we do—being engaged in our community's government— keeps transparency alive.
