News & Announcements | Wisconsin Newspaper Association

Advertising tax credit bill to be heard by Assembly committee

Jan. 14, 2022

In advance of a public hearing Wednesday for the WNA's advertising tax credit bill, publishers are strongly encouraged to call members of the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means and request they support the passage of Assembly Bill 762. The bill aims to give financial relief to news organizations and small businesses by providing a 50% tax credit to advertise in local media.

The hearing is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in Room 225 Northwest of the state Capitol. Industry representatives testifying on behalf of the bill for the WNA include Richard Lee, Inter-County Cooperative Publishing Association, Mike Hollihan, Multi Media Channels, WNA President Gregg Walker, The (Minocqua) Lakeland Times, and WNA executive director Beth Bennett.

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Gannett to eliminate Saturday print editions for 9 Wisconsin papers

Jan. 14, 2022

In response to response to "continued rapid shifts toward digital news consumption," Gannett is eliminating the Saturday print editions for many of its newspapers effective March 12, the company announced Thursday.

The change will not impact the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel or The (Fond du Lac) Reporter, which had ceased Saturday publication previously. Saturday papers will remain available as e-editions for The (Appleton) Post Crescent, Green Bay Press-Gazette, (Manitowoc) Herald Times Reporter, Oshkosh Northwestern, The Sheboygan Press and Wausau Daily Herald. For three central Wisconsin newspapers — the Marshfield News-Herald, Stevens Point Journal and (Wisconsin Rapids) Daily Tribune — the issues will be replaced by Sunday editions.

Nominations sought for 2022 Opee Awards

Jan. 14, 2022

The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, a nonprofit group that works to protect access to public meetings and records, is now accepting nominations for its annual Openness in Government Awards, or Opees.

Nominations and supporting documentation should be submitted by Wednesday, Feb. 2, to FOIC president Bill Lueders at blueders@gmail.com. The winners will be selected by a Council committee, as in past years. The Council reserves the right to issue special awards or to not give an award in a particular category.

Multi Media Channels buys The Sentinel & Rural News

Dec. 27, 2021

Multi Media Channels has purchased The Sentinel & Rural News, a weekly newspaper based in the Owen-Withee community in Clark County. The sale was finalized Wednesday, Dec. 22.

Publishers Travis and Nicole Rogers announced their decision to sell and bid farewell to readers in their respective columns. They plan to continue contributing to the newspaper, including writing weekly columns. The Rogers were part of a four-person team that started the newspaper in March 2014.

New state bill aims to support local media, small businesses

Dec. 10, 2021

A recent piece of legislation co-authored by Todd Novak, a former newspaper editor who now serves in the Wisconsin State Assembly, aims to provide financial relief to local media and small businesses that have been pummeled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Introduced on Dec. 9, Assembly Bill 762 would give small businesses that purchase advertising in local media outlets a 50% tax credit. A story profiling Novak and highlighting the legislation is available to WNA members for republication.

Report for America to help fund reporting positions in 6 Wisconsin newsrooms

Dec. 9, 2021

Report for America will provide funding to six Wisconsin newsrooms to support 10 reporting positions in 2022, the nonprofit announced on Wednesday. Of the selected newsrooms, The (Appleton) Post-Crescent will participate in the program for the first time.

With the announcement of 70 new reporting positions, Report for America's 2022 corps will include 325 journalists in nearly 270 newsrooms across all 50 states and three U.S. territories. Selections were made mostly on the basis of which newsrooms defined the most compelling gaps in coverage and plans to deploy corps members, according to an announcement from the organization.

Registration now open for 2022 Wisconsin Civics Games

Dec. 4, 2021

Registration is now open for the 2022 Wisconsin Civics Games. The competition, which aims to promote civics education and encourage Wisconsin high school students to develop an interest in public service, returns after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regional competitions will be held virtually on Friday, April 22. The top-performing teams will advance to the state finals on Friday, May 13, at the Wisconsin State Capitol, and members of the winning team will receive $2,000 scholarships toward tuition to a Wisconsin college or university of their choice.

WNA Foundation honors 2021 Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame inductees

Nov. 21, 2021

Nearly 70 colleagues attended the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame banquet and fundraiser to pay tribute to their peers. The ceremony also took a moment to honor Hall of Fame member Bob Wills, a longtime open government champion and newspaper editor who died earlier this year.

This year’s class included Harland and Helen Everson, longtime publishers of The Edgerton Reporter; William “Bill” Hale, former owner of the Grant County Herald-Independent and other newspapers; Phil Haslanger, longtime editor and manager of The Capital Times; Margaret “Meg” Jones, former reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; J. Anthony Josey, founder of the state’s first successful newspaper, the Wisconsin Enterprise-Blade; and Lucius W. Nieman, founder of The Milwaukee Journal.

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Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics nominations due Jan. 18

Nov. 19, 2021

The Center for Journalism Ethics at UW-Madison is seeking nominations for the 2022 Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics. The deadline for submitting nominations is Jan. 18.

The Shadid Award, now in its 13th year, recognizes ethical decisions in reporting by journalists working for established news organizations or publishing individually. Winners of the Shadid Award receive a $1,000 prize and will be invited to accept the award and discuss their reporting at an awards ceremony in New York on May 17.

New scholarship to honor legacy of reporter Meg Jones

Nov. 13, 2021

Current and former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel staffers have launched a scholarship fund in honor of longtime reporter Meg Jones, who will be inducted next week into the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame.

The scholarship will be awarded to journalism students from Wisconsin attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jones’ alma mater. Organizers hope to raise $50,000.