From the Journal Standard, Good Morning Column, November 2009
A former Freeport resident is now a political writer at the State Capitol in Springfield for the Associated Press.

John M. O'Connor is an Aquin graduate and former Journal Standard staffer. He received the Charles Rowe Award for Distinguished State Reporting at the October 29 convention of the Associated Press Managing Editors.

The award represents the best reporting by all statehouse reporters of the AP, in 2009.

His body of work included coverage of the misconduct of ousted former Governor Rod Blagojevich, as well as wasteful spending by bureaucrats, and details about the parole status of the man accused of killing singer Jennifer Hudson's family.

O'Connor's articles on Blagojevich uncovered documents on the governor's efforts to help a union at the same time he was allegedly trying to arrange a lucrative union job for himself. O'Connor also reported on fundraising efforts from construction firms which Blagojevich approved for a $1.8 billion road building initiative, and the administration’s contacts with the owners of the Chicago Cubs about possible state help in renovating Wrigley Field.

O'Connor also investigated and wrote articles revealing that the Illinois Department of Transportation gave raises up to $10,000 a year to a dozen top staffers just before Blagojevich was removed from office. The governor ultimately reversed the raises and an IDOT manager was fired.

After graduating from Aquin, O'Connor received his bachelor's degree from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa; then went on for his master's degree in public affairs reporting from Sangamon State University (now the University of Illinois at Springfield).

He has previously won four awards from the Chicago Headline Club, an affiliate of the Society of Professional Journalists.