Bernard Schoenburg’s career began at The Daily Illini investigating a fraternity that was scalping concert tickets. He went on to work at the Bloomington Pantagraph in 1976, then to the Associated Press in Chicago, and eventually to the Springfield Journal-Register in 1990. He was also a regular host of “CapitolView,” a weekly political affairs program on public TV. His tenacity and work ethic made him a powerful force in political journalism in Illinois. Always fair, never shy, he held governors, representatives, senators and institutions accountable. Schoenburg was part of the team that won a prestigious George Polk Award in 1993 for its “Cash Transaction” series about campaign contributions and government contracts. He also received numerous awards for his work as a columnist. Schoenburg retired in 2020.

This bio was written at the time of Bernard Schoenburg’s inauguration into the 2022 Illini Media Hall of Fame.