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A bill introduced earlier this month seeks to eliminate the Wisconsin statute that excludes legislators and their staff from having to retain certain records, effectively allowing them to skirt the state’s public records law.

Senate Bill 289 was introduced on April 8 by Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) and Kelda Roys (D-Madison). The Wisconsin Newspaper Association has registered its support of the legislation with the Ethics Commission.

The family of longtime Wisconsin State Journal reporter Pat Simms has created a journalism scholarship fund in her name. The fund will be used to support students "with a passion to study journalism."

Simms, who served as a journalism instructor and adviser after retiring from the State Journal in 2011, died Monday, April 5, after a fight with cancer.  Those interested in contributing to the fund are directed to send donations to the M. Patricia Simms Journalism Scholarship Fund, c/o Meanwell Investment Group, 1 Erdman Place, Suite 200, Madison, WI 53717-2171. 

Join us this afternoon as we celebrate the collegiate and high school award winners in the 2020 WNA Foundation Better Newspaper Contests during a virtual ceremony.

This year’s Openness in Government Awards recognize Wisconsin’s largest newspaper for its dogged records-based coverage of the pandemic and its commitment to the cause of transparency in government, as well as two newspaper reporters who used public records to expose wrongdoing.

The awards, presented annually by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, recognize outstanding efforts to protect the state’s long tradition of open government and highlight some of the threats to it. They are being announced in advance of the News Leaders Association’s national Sunshine Week. 

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During the annual meeting Thursday, members of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association approved the 2021-22 slate of officers, as well as changes to the WNA's bylaws.

Immediately following, the WNA Board of Directors held its regularly scheduled meeting for the first quarter of 2021. Discussion items included pending legislation, a proposed executive summit, a Wisconsin Civics Games essay and editorial cartoon contest, and this year’s virtual convention and awards ceremony.

The Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation on Friday honored the work of newspapers across the state, announcing the award winners and newspapers of the year in the 2020 WNAF Better Newspaper Contest. 

Recipients of 2020 Newspaper of the Year Awards were The Gazette, Janesville, (Daily Division) and the Vilas County News-Review, Eagle River (Weekly Division).

Best of Division winners also included the (Eau Claire) Leader-Telegram, The (Rhinelander) Northwoods River News, The (Ironwood, Mich.) Daily Globe, The Monroe Times and The Valders Journal.

The 2020 WNA Foundation Better Newspaper Contest included 2,051 entries from 103 newspapers. The contest was judged by members of the Texas Press Association.

See a list of all the winners, along with the judges’ comments, in our digital Better Newspaper Contest Awards Tab publication.

Did you miss the premiere of the 2020 WNA Foundation Better Newspaper Contest award ceremony? Don’t worry. You can still view a recording of the program.

This year's ceremony was held virtually due to gathering restrictions and other COVID-19 safety recommendations.