News & Announcements | Wisconsin Newspaper Association

Sunshine Week 2022 set to kick off March 13

Mar. 11, 2022

WNA member newspapers are encouraged to participate in Sunshine Week, the News Leaders Association's annual nationwide celebration of open government. This year's celebration is set for March 13-19.

Newspapers can get involved by publishing stories, editorials, cartoons or graphics on open government and the public's right to know. Journalists and news organizations also are encouraged to share their experiences, success stories, FOIA battles and more by tweeting @SunshineWeek or using the hashtag #SunshineWeek.

Nominations sought for Distinguished Wisconsin Watchdog Award

Mar. 11, 2022

Nominations are being sought for the annual Distinguished Wisconsin Watchdog Award, recognizing an individual’s extraordinary contributions to open government or investigative journalism in Wisconsin.

Letters of nomination are accepted from journalists, news organizations and other individuals and organizations involved in open government and investigative journalism issues. Self-nominations also are welcomed. The nomination deadline is March 21.

Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council names ‘Opee’ winners

Mar. 10, 2022

The winners of this year's Openness Awards — or "Opees" — bestowed by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council include a citizen concerned about plans to develop a city park, an alderperson who felt his colleagues broke the law and a district attorney who filed charges against a town for open records violations.

They'll all be recognized during the Wisconsin Watchdog Awards reception and dinner, on Thursday, April 21, at The Madison Club in Madison, beginning at 5 p.m.

Trucker shortage and Canadian blockade threaten newsprint supply, especially for smaller, rural newspapers

Mar. 9, 2022

A shortage of truckers and blockade bottlenecks have put a crimp on newsprint deliveries to the nation’s newspapers.

Those delays, combined with fears of a newsprint shortage, have raised publishers’ anxiety and put a premium on delivery schedule planning.

Gish Award nominations open until April 1

Mar. 4, 2022

Nominations for the Gish Award for courage, integrity and tenacity in rural journalism are now being accepted, the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues announced last week.

The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, April 1. Nominations should be emailed to Institute Director Al Cross at al.cross@uky.edu and should include a detailed letter explaining how the nominee shows courage, tenacity and integrity, as well as any documentation of the same.

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Judge: Vos, Gableman violated public records law

Mar. 4, 2022

A judge on Wednesday ruled Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and former state Supreme Court justice Michael Gableman violated the state’s public records law by refusing to turn over documents and delaying the release of others.

Vos and Gableman “arbitrarily and capriciously denied or delayed access to records,” according to Dane County Circuit Court Judge Frank Remington

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Equity to be focus of Center for Journalism Ethics’ annual conference

Feb. 25, 2022

The Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will host its 13th annual journalism ethics conference at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery on Friday, April 29, in Madison. The conference is free, open to the public and made possible by generous sponsorships from Craig Newmark Philanthropies and the Evjue Foundation.

The Wisconsin Newspaper Association, which is also a conference sponsor, will send out a link to the virtual conference to WNA members on the day of the event.

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NNA announces virtual fellowship program on March 15

Feb. 25, 2022

The National Newspaper Association Foundation this week announced that this year's News Fellows program will go virtual.

The fellowship will focus on climate change and be held on March 15. There were seven open spots as of Tuesday, which will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested students or those wishing to nominate a Wisconsin college student for the fellowship should contact Lisa McGraw, public affairs manager for the Michigan Press Association, at lisa@michiganpress.org.

The work of art: A survey of Milwaukee’s artists and creatives

Feb. 23, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic decreased the earnings of many Milwaukee County artists and creatives, and while their income opportunities partially rebounded by the second half of 2021, they remained shy of pre-pandemic levels.

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Center for Journalism Ethics announces 2022 Shadid Award finalists

Feb. 18, 2022

Four entries have been selected as finalists for the 2022 Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics, UW-Madison's Center for Journalism Ethics announced this week. The winner will receive a $1,000 prize and be invited to accept the award and discuss their reporting at an awards ceremony in New York on May 17.

The Shadid Award, now in its 13th year, recognizes ethical decisions in reporting stories in any medium, including print, broadcast and digital, by journalists working for established news organizations or publishing individually. The award focuses on current journalism and does not include books, documentaries or other long-term projects.