The Better Government Association (BGA) announces two esteemed, award-winning journalists, Doug Longhini and Clark Bell, will help expand the scope and impact of its Investigative Unit and boost the BGA’s digital footprint through a variety of multimedia platforms and collaborations.
 
Doug Longhini will work as a consultant to the BGA’s Investigative Unit. Longhini has more than 35 years experience as an investigative reporter and television news producer. His career began in Chicago working with The Chicago Reporter, the BGA, ABC 7 and NBC 5, where he led the investigative unit for 14 years. While at the BGA Longhini worked as a bartender as part of the famous Mirage Tavern investigation that exposed a parade of city and state officials accepting bribes. Longhini spent the past 19 years with CBS News and 48 Hours. His work has earned dozens of journalism awards.
 
“Years ago, the BGA helped launch my investigative journalism career,” Longhini said. “So now it’s a privilege to return and help expand the BGA’s digital impact.”
 
Clark Bell will be a consultant for strategic initiatives. Bell’s background includes a decade as the Journalism Program Director of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation where he managed an annual grant-making budget of $6 million and shaped the program’s focus on critical issues facing the news media. He previously worked as a reporter, columnist and editor for the Chicago Daily News, Chicago Sun-Times, Des Moines Register, Dallas Times Herald and Modern Healthcare, a Crain Communications newsweekly covering the business of healthcare. Bell will take a leave of absence from the BGA Board of Directors to work in this advisory role.
 
“I’ve watched the BGA grow from a small organization into a powerful and important watchdog organization,” Bell said. “I’m looking forward to building on this strong foundation to spread the good government message to more people across the state of Illinois.”