Cindy Richards writes a weekly commentary column for the Chicago Sun-Times, the newspaper where she worked for 15 years, first as a business reporter then as a member of the Editorial Board. She left the paper in 1997. In 1999, she launched her own freelance business, writing the Sun-Times column as well as writing for Working Mother magazine, North Shore magazine and WomensEnews, a Web-based women's news. In 2002, Richards started working part-time for Chicago Parent magazine. She is senior editor and travel editor at the award-winning monthly news magazine for parents in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Throughout her career, Richards has focused on writing about health care policy, social justice, education, work-life challenges and children's and family issues.

Richards has won numerous awards for her work, including a Peter Lisagor award for a series of editorials on corrupt aldermen, the James P. McQuire Award from the American Civil Liberties Union for a series of columns on abortion rights and a first place award from Northern Illinois University for a series on white collar unemployment. In 1991, she was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of workplace issues.