Media complacency enabled Madigan

I recently read an editorial in the Herald regarding the decades long corruption of Mike Madigan. I was good with one notable exception. There was no discussion of the media, electronic and print, being absent during his reign of corruption.

He had ruled the state for over 40 years and besides the massive corruption, has been the person most responsible for the state being massively in debt with pensions dangerously underfunded. However, there was never any serious investigations by the media, including the Herald, into Madigan’s shenanigans. His reign of corruption and damage could not have gone as long if we had a serious media in this state that cared about corruption.

In the editorial, I saw no indication of any self-reflection on the part of the Herald staff. They and the rest of Illinois media should be ashamed for their dereliction of their responsibility to the citizens. I wonder whether there might have been more curiosity and diligence if Madigan had not been a Democrat. Maybe the Chicago way would not have gone on so long.

Stephanie O’Reilly

Wheaton