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.
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, 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.
The United States Postal Service today announced a planned adjustment of postage rates for the public and commercial mail users, the National Newspaper Association announced. For community newspapers using periodicals mail to reach readers, the average rate increase will be nearly 9%, effective August 29. The first-class stamp will move from 55 to 58 cents.
The rate increase is part of a new USPS business plan that also includes a weakening of service standards for mail that is moving across the country.
Gov. Tony Evers last week signed into law legislation that further ensures our industry’s role in the continued publication of public notices.
Each amendment aims to cement the position of community newspapers as papers of record, while also promoting ease of access and increased readership of legal notices. The legislation does not change the eligibility status of newspapers currently certified to publish legal notices.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Office of Open Government last week issued an advisory regarding the applicability of the state’s public records laws under Marsy’s Law.
The advisory instructs records custodians to continue applying the balancing test when responding to requests for records that contain information about crime victims, but notes the recent constitutional amendment strengthens the public policy interest in protecting victims’ rights.
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Multi Media Channels has launched a new local community shoppers' guide in central Wisconsin, the Wittenberg Northerner Buyers' Guide.
The first issue of the shopper was set to be delivered Thursday to approximately 10,000 homes in about a 20-mile radius around Wittenberg, which lies roughly 25 miles east of the metro Wausau area.
Wisconsin Newspaper Association members are being asked to consider volunteering to judge the West Virginia Press Association's annual newspaper contest. Without reciprocal judging partnerships, the WNA would not be able to hold our annual contests.
WVPA needs at least 70 WNA members to sign up by May 23 to judge across a variety of editorial, photography, design and advertising categories. All judging will be done online and is scheduled to begin in late May or early June.
Kathleen Bartzen Culver, director of UW-Madison’s Center for Journalism Ethics, has been named Teacher of the Year for 2020 in the 68th Scripps Howard Awards. Culver, who also is an associate professor and the James E. Burgess Chair in Journalism Ethics, has been a member of the UW journalism faculty for more than 20 years.
The annual awards, which were announced last week during a virtual awards show, will be rebroadcast May 8-9.
The Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation is accepting applications from students and member newspapers for its 2021 Summer Internship Program.
Up to four college journalists will be placed at WNA-member newspapers across the state during the summer of 2021. Schedules — including any possibility of remote work during the pandemic — will vary based on the newspapers’ preferences, but interns will earn approximately $3,200 for an eight-week, full-time internship. Participating newspapers will receive a stipend from the WNA Foundation to help cover costs, but must provide at least $1,200 in matching funds for intern wages.
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