About Michael

Email: michaelb@patch.com
Phone: 815-579-0880

Bio

I graduated from Illinois College and started out as a reporter for Lakeland Newspapers, covering communities throughout Lake County. I moved to Arizona, where I became an editor for the Arizona Journal and eventually a bureau chief for the Arizona bureau of the Los Angeles Daily Journal.

I moved back to Illinois and, after a brief editing stint with Liberty Suburban News, became a managing editor for Pioneer Press, covering a number of towns and newspapers in northern Illinois.

I'm now your local editor for crystallake.patch.com!

Your Beliefs
At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.

Politics
How would you describe your political beliefs?

Overall, I lean to the left a little. But there are a few areas where I'm very conservative.

Religion
How religious would you consider yourself?

I was raised Catholic, but I'm not dedicated to any organized religion right now.

Local Hot-Button Issues
What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?

The library needs help. Those dedicated people are running a great library without the funds they need. The help needs to come from the state and the community.