Briefing

Bart Pfankuch

11 tips to grow your agriculture coverage

Despite the importance of agriculture reporting, coverage of the industry has been reduced or even eliminated by many traditional media outlets. How and where food is grown or raised, how it is processed and transported, what it costs to buy and how the industry affects the economy and the environment are important to readers, advertisers, agricultural producers and policymakers.

In his latest installment of "Better Writing with Bart," writing coach Bart Pfankuch provides some tips to start or expand your coverage of agriculture.

Orestes Baez

Orestes Baez appointed to fill open WNA Board seat

Orestes Baez has joined the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Board of Directors, accepting an appointment by WNA President Gregg Walker to fill an open seat.

Baez, who serves as regional president of southern Wisconsin for Adams Publishing Group, will fill one of the four daily newspaper seats on the WNA Board. He replaces Randy Rickman, who resigned after being named regional president for southern Minnesota at APG.

wisconsin relevance project

Don’t miss our second webinar on newspaper relevance (and watch the first one if you missed it)

Last year, the WNA helped launch a new initiative called The Relevance Project, which highlights the importance of newspapers to their communities.

Next month, we’re enlisting the help of project director Tom Silvestri to teach WNA members what The Relevance Project is all about. Silvestri will present two webinars discussing what the project is all about and sharing its free resources, which are aimed at advancing community newspapers and their hard-charging staffs.

the milwaukee times, juneteenth strawberry soda

Milwaukee newspaper shares Juneteenth history through strawberry soda sales

The Milwaukee Times, a weekly newspaper that focuses on positive news in the Black community, is selling Juneteenth Strawberry Soda as part of a fundraiser that also serves to share the history of the holiday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported this week.

Proceeds from the soda sales go toward the newspaper's Louvenia Johnson Scholarship Fund, named in honor of one of The Times' original founders. 

For the past five years, the newspaper has sold the soda out of its office at 1936 N. King Drive during the summer months. This year, The Times expanded the soda's reach by distributing it to three local businesses.

Kris Leonhardt, Multi Media Channels

Kris Leonhardt steps down from Portage County Gazette editor role

Kris Leonhardt, senior editor for Multi Media Channels, will no longer serve as editor of the Portage County Gazette.

Leonhardt is stepping aside from the role as she shifts to work on the creation of other MMC products, including Heritage, a central Wisconsin history magazine. She shared the news in a farewell column, thanking readers for their kindness during her time with the paper. 

Taking over the editor role is Taylor Hale, who has served as associate editor and a reporter for the newspaper.

press times, green bay, mmc

The Press Times moves to downtown Green Bay office

The Press Times has moved to a new office in downtown Green Bay, the newspaper announced last week.

Previously located just west of Green Bay in Howard, the newspaper will now operate out of the top floor of the BMO Harris Bank building at 310 W. Walnut St. The move puts The Press Times in the heart of the city's historic Broadway District, home to many local shops and restaurants.

Wisconsin Media Group to acquire Unified Newspaper Group

Wisconsin Media Group, an affiliate company of O’Rourke Media Group, announced on Thursday plans to acquire Unified Newspaper Group. The transaction will close on June 30, 2021.

Unified Newspaper Group is composed of four weekly newspapers and digital websites that serve the communities of Oregon, Verona, Fitchburg, and Stoughton.

John Foust, advertising, ad-libs

4 things bosses do that can hurt employee morale

In many cases, there are lessons to be learned from negative boss-employee encounters.

In his latest "Ad-libs" column, John Foust shares four examples of things a boss can do that may ruin morale among employees.

new news lab, microsoft

Microsoft launches NEW News Lab with Wisconsin newsrooms, foundations

Microsoft has given $300,000 to help six Wisconsin newsrooms launch a collaborative journalism lab that will produce in-depth local reporting projects, which will be made available for republication by other news organizations.

The NEW News Lab — a collaboration between Fox Valley 365, Green Bay Press-Gazette, The (Appleton) Post-Crescent, The (Green Bay) Press Times, Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Watch — will report on racism as a public heath crisis, affordable housing shortages, local school funding and local judicial systems.

patrick wood book, mmc, dear reader

MMC publisher Patrick Wood releases new book of columns

Patrick Wood, Multi Media Channels CEO and publisher of its weekly newspapers and other publications, has released a new book, the company announced this week.

The book, “Dear Reader: Meditations, Musings and Moments in Time,” is a compilation of columns Wood has written for MMC newspapers over the last four years. In the book release announcement, it is described as a “beacon” intended to uplift and enlighten readers.

Wisconsin Newspaper Association