I’m all in favor of The Chicago Tribune re-dedicating itself to fighting corruption in the state of Illinois and shining the light of day on the dirty deeds done very expensively that have become part and parcel of this state’s government.

But the fact remains that such a declaration only serves to highlight how bad both the citizens and the press in the state let it get.

It’s the job of the press to look for “the truth” not just reprint both side’s reactions to a particular issue. They – and by “they” I mean the press at large, not just the Trib – failed to act as the public’s advocates and information source and that’s a big part of the problem we now find ourselves in.

So go out there – do your job. We should all be more vigilant, but without accurate reporting the citizenry isn’t fully equipped to hold our elected officials accountable, either at the ballot box or in the courts.

Published by Chris Thilk

Chris Thilk is a freelance writer and content strategist with over 15 years of experience in online strategy and content marketing. He lives in the Chicago suburbs.