Steven Potter, public records

Your Right to Know: Expand online access to government records

The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that many of our jobs can be done digitally and remotely. The same should be true of accessing government records, reporter and radio producer Steven Potter writes.

In the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council’s most recent “Your Right to Know” column, Potter urges government agencies to serve the public interest by paying attention to the lessons we’ve learned in the past several months.

Bart Pfankuch

Sharpen your writing by reading stories aloud

Reading text aloud performs two basic yet critical analytical and diagnostic functions — it quickly shows if the prose is smooth, flows well and is pleasing to the eye and ear and where the clunks in copy are located; also, it reveals whether information is being presented in a logical, clear and meaningful progression, writes veteran journalist Bart Pfankuch.

It’s perhaps the best way for a writer or editor to check their work for flow, accuracy, clarity and meaning.

Peter Kwong

Welcome to my tempura haven

My wife’s bumper crop of veggies gave me a great idea: Why don’t I bread them with a tempura batter and deep-fry them? Problem solved!

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

Poll: Which issue is most important to you in the 2020 election?

A new poll question about which issue is most important to voters in the 2020 election is now available to be used by WNA members.

Results from our previous poll question about Kamala Harris’ impact on voting decisions also are available. Out of 328 respondents, 38% said it had no impact on their decision. Of the remaining voters, 30% said it made them more likely to vote for Joe Biden and 26% said it made them more likely to vote for Donald Trump.

John Foust, advertising, ad-libs

Read any good catalogs lately?

There are other approaches to advertising creativity, but catalogs excel when it comes to descriptions of product features and benefits, writes veteran sales trainer John Foust.

In his latest installment of “Ad-Libs,” Foust points to some standout examples from L.L. Bean catalogs.

Wisconsin Newspaper Association