Patch Columnist Mark Konkol Wins Lisagor Award

CHICAGO — Mark Konkol has won a 2019 Lisagor award for his wide-ranging Patch columns on public corruption, police misconduct and local journalism.

Named for Peter Lisagor, a Chicago Daily News columnist from 1959 until his death in 1976, the awards celebrate the "best journalism produced throughout the Chicagoland region, spanning all mediums, including print, radio, television and digital," according to the Chicago Headline Club, which manages the awards. This year's awards were announced online rather than at the group's annual banquet due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Konkol, a lifelong White Sox fan, adds the Lisagor to a 2011 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting for his Chicago Sun-Times columns documenting neighborhood violence. He was a producer, writer and narrator of the 2014 CNN documentary series "Chicagoland."

After leaving the Sun-Times, Konkol joined DNAinfo, an online neighborhood newspaper, and stayed there for four years, leaving shortly before the website folded in 2017. Konkol began writing for Patch later that year.

Read some of Konkol's columns below:

Please Pretend Retiring Chicago Top Cop Isn't Under Investigation

Reporters urged not to ask Supt. Eddie Johnson about misconduct investigation at bizarre news conference announcing his retirement plans.

How To Talk To Your Stubborn Parents About Coronavirus Precaution

If your stubborn, high-risk parents won't listen to CDC advice for avoiding COVID-19, doctor recommends trying a guilt trip.

CTU Boss Talks Like Working Man, Lives Like Wealthiest 1 Percent

Chicago Teachers Union boss Jesse Sharkey talks like a socialist tough guy, lives in a posh Rogers Park estate and drives a Tesla.

Mayoral Candidate Susana Mendoza Can't Be Taken Seriously Anymore

Preckwinkle is right about Mendoza — a mayoral candidate connected to corruption can't be trusted. It takes one to know one.

Chicago Police Don't Arrest As Many Murderers As You Might Think

Knowing 1966 murder suspect's death helped Chicago police boost murder clearance rate in 2019 feels like a dirty trick.