Updates

The Better Government Association has announced that three new members are joining its board of directors. With backgrounds in media, finance, and communications, the new board members bring years of […]

Former Chicago Sun-Times editor joins 2022 Pulitzer-winning newsroom.

The Costly Toll of Dead-end Drug Arrests, published in December, examined how thousands of Chicagoans — mostly Black men — are arrested on drug possession charges judges, police and prosecutors all know will never stick.

The Better Government Association has hired veteran Chicago journalist Alex Nitkin as its newest member to its newsroom team.

Reporting on thousands of drug-possession cases in Cook County that were quickly dismissed at great cost to many received a best non-deadline reporting award from the Society for Professional Journalists. This was a USC Annenberg National Health Reporting Fellowship project as part of The Circuit, a multi-newsroom collaboration.

Two BGA projects, with partners at the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times respectively, won first and second place for public service in a contest judged by newspaper editors throughout the state

Among the prizes are “Best News Website,” podcast honors for “The Madigan Rule,” and investigative awards for two projects “Failures Before the Fires” in collaboration with the Chicago Tribune and “The Costly Toll of Dead-end Drug Arrests” with the Chicago Sun-Times.

The BGA/Chicago Tribune investigation “Failures Before the Fires” was named a finalist for the national award for Local Reporting. The Livingston Award is meant to honor journalists under 35 for excellence in journalism. Winner will be announced in June.