Provocative analysis, yes. But we provide more than that

by Ed Wojcicki

Conversation over lunch last month with Betsy Plank, a member of the Illinois Issues Board, inspired me to think in new ways.

A public relations professional, she helped me focus on two ideas as we observe our 25th anniversary.

First, Illinois Issues continues to be important in the public affairs arena.

Second, Illinois Issues is more than a magazine. I almost wrote "more than just a magazine," but that would diminish the reality.

Let me explain.

It becomes clearer every month that citizens have available an increasing number of sources of information about state government. Twenty-five years ago, most citizens probably relied on their local newspapers for such news. Maybe they also turned to radio and television. But now, there are fewer newspapers, and commercial broadcast outlets are devoting less time to following state government.

Illinois Issues has filled an important niche over those 25 years by continuing to be a reliable and comprehensive source of information about state government and politics.

Now, though, more citizens are turning to such sources as newsletters or Web sites to get their "news." This might seem to be a positive development. But there is a divisive effect on Illinois' political community when everyone has a different frame of reference.

So, Plank says, we should remind readers that Illinois Issues remains a valuable vehicle for keeping coherent public discourse alive. To understand issues and discuss them intelligently, we need common sources of reliable information. Illinois Issues is one of those sources, both in print and on our Web site (www.uis.edu/~ilissues).

Further, as part of the University of Illinois at Springfield, Illinois Issues was and is more than a magazine. It is an institution apart from its journalistic role.

Just a few examples:

• We recognize outstanding careers in public service by sponsoring the Samuel K. Gove Illinois Legislative Internship Hall of Fame and co-sponsoring the Motorola Excellence in Public Service Award.

• We help younger students learn about Illinois with a great new textbook, Governing Illinois, which has its own Web site at www.uis.edu/govern.

• We occasionally sponsor forums and research projects in collaboration with university scholars, as we did with our Illinois Campaign Finance Project.

• And we stay abreast of issues, in part, by benefiting from the dedication of one of the best boards in Illinois. Look at the list of members on the right, and you'll know what I mean. ž

Illinois Issues November 1999 / 3