News & Announcements

It’s no secret that election misinformation is rampant. It’s an issue that has prompted mistrust in elections, voting access restrictions and a decline in public confidence — and it's up to election officials, civic groups and the media to oppose this threat.

That’s why we’re encouraging members to participate in the Elections 101 campaign and donate space to run a series of ads aimed at fostering a better understanding of election administration in our state and establishing more trust in the process.

Wisconsin Watch, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism’s news outlet, is joining a nationwide project led by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers that aims to protect democracy by limiting the spread and impact of misinformation, the newsroom announced this week.

It's no secret that public confidence in our elections system has suffered over the past several years. In response, the Wisconsin Elections Commission has developed a voter education campaign that will explore the various aspects of elections administration in our state.

The commission and John Smalley, who recently retired from the newspaper industry and is now a public information officer for WEC, are asking newspaper and broadcast outlets to help spread the word by running house ads, starting later this month.

Election Day is only weeks away. The hyper-partisanship of races at all levels – from local to state to federal – demands that editors pay extra attention to press releases and letters to the editor, writes Jim Pumarlo in his latest column.

It's a good time for newsrooms to have a discussion about their planned coverage and be prepared — set the ground rules if you have not already done so, and publicize the guidelines.