News & Announcements | Page 184 of 380 | Wisconsin Newspaper Association

Your Right to Know: Record location fees invite abuses

Apr. 1, 2021

Wisconsin’s open records law, passed in 1981, allows records custodians to charge for the “actual, necessary and direct” cost of making and sending copies, as well as the “actual, necessary and direct” cost of locating them, if this latter charge exceeds $50.

In the latest "Your Right to Know" column, Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council President Bill Lueders argues it's a practice the Wisconsin state Legislature should consider ending.

Wisconsin prison, jail inmate populations plummet during pandemic

Apr. 1, 2021

The response to COVID-19 had an unprecedented impact on Wisconsin’s incarcerated population, as local jail and state prison populations plummeted during the pandemic after years of increases.

republicans, democrats, legislature, maps

Republicans keep grip on Legislature despite Democratic spending spree

Mar. 31, 2021

Democrats spent millions trying to hold and win back seats in the state Legislature in 2020. They barely made a dent. Blame gerrymandering?

polco, coronavirus, voter registration, presidential debates, covid-19

Poll: Without statewide mandate, will you still wear a mask?

Mar. 31, 2021

A new poll question about whether readers will continue wearing masks in public places is available to be used by WNA members. We are asking the question in light of a March 31 state Supreme Court decision that struck down Gov. Tony Evers’ statewide mask mandate.

Gold strike not all glitter

Mar. 30, 2021

Ever since my first newspaper column was published in 1983, I’ve always strived to craft something that readers could really sink their teeth into. But this week’s story is pure gold.

Undocumented immigrants qualify for rent relief, but Wisconsin sends mixed signals

Mar. 29, 2021

Some regional nonprofits administering Gov. Tony Evers’ $322 million emergency rental assistance program may be unintentionally discouraging non-U.S. citizens from applying — even though immigration status holds no bearing on eligibility for the federally financed program.

Election lawsuits cost Wisconsin taxpayers nearly $3 million in 2020

Mar. 29, 2021

The legal fight over Wisconsin’s 2020 elections cost taxpayers nearly $3 million in private attorneys, according to bills obtained by WisPolitics.com.

Sid Schwartz to retire from editor roles at The Gazette, APG

Mar. 26, 2021

Sid Schwartz, editor of The Gazette and regional editor for Adams Publishing Group, will retire next month, the Janesville newspaper announced Thursday.

Schwartz has led The Gazette newsroom for the past six years, and last year added regional editor responsibilities for APG, overseeing its southern Wisconsin newspapers. He also took over in November as editor of the Beloit Daily News following the retirement of longtime editor Bill Barth.

Washington Island Observer names Alex Anderson advertising manager

Mar. 26, 2021

Alex Anderson has been named advertising manager for the Washington Island Observer. A UW-Madison graduate with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, Anderson has worked part-time for the Observer as an office assistant and social media consultant.

Anderson takes over the position vacated by Zuzka Krueger, who had served in the role since 2016. Krueger is credited by the Observer with growing the number and scope of the newspaper’s advertisers during her tenure.

AP investigation wins 2021 Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics

Mar. 25, 2021

Associated Press investigative reporters Margie Mason and Robin McDowell are the winners of the 2021 Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics, the Center for Journalism Ethics at UW-Madison has announced.

Mason and McDowell earned the award for their investigative series on palm oil labor abuses. They interviewed more than 130 current and former palm oil workers in Indonesia and Malaysia, chronicling instances of abuse such as rape, trafficking, slavery and child labor. The reporters will be presented with the award during an online ceremony in May.