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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.

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.

In the days leading up to Phil Haslanger's induction into the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame, the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication caught up with him to hear more about his career, including his story of working at The Capital Times on the last day they used typewriters in the newsroom.

Haslanger worked at The Capital Times from 1973 to 2008 as a reporter, city editor, editorial page editor and managing editor. He retired in 2008, but continues to work on behalf of the industry through his role as a board member of the UW-Madison Center for Journalism Ethics.

A state legislator appears to have been improperly given a special privilege when he was notified by the local police department that the Green Bay Press-Gazette planned to release a report alleging he abused his child and then let him add a statement to the documents.

Local public officials cited the statute requiring notification of elected officials who are the subject of open records requests. However, the law doesn't apply in this case because the legislator wasn't a public employee or official at the time the record was created — and he was never an employee of the police department, the newspaper reports.

The application period for newspapers interested in hosting an intern during the summer of 2022 is now open. The deadline to apply is Sunday, Nov. 28.

In an effort to provide students and newspapers with a more valuable experience, the WNA Foundation board of directors recently voted to change the length and application process for its summer internship program. Beginning in 2022, internships will be extended from eight to 12 weeks and participating newspapers will be awarded of $3,000 — up from $2,000 — and will be required to contribute $1,800 in matching funds.

As part of the WNA Foundation's mission to increase public awareness and appreciation of newspapers, it annually recognizes visionaries and innovators in the industry. This year's Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame banquet will be held on Nov. 18 at The Madison Club, 5 E. Wilson St., Madison. 

Your support helps us to better celebrate our honorees and assists with our efforts to foster excellence in journalism through engaging current and future newspaper leaders. There are a few ways to get involved with the event and support the mission of the WNA Foundation.