Category Archives: News

A lawsuit announced Friday challenges the Madison School District’s decision to deny an open records request citing the unwillingness of the requester to identify themselves. The suit alleges that the district is unlawfully insisting that the requester identify themselves before it will turn over records. Tom Kamenick, President and Founder... - MORE -

Journalists know well the importance of avoiding “officialese” when writing. That is, they know they should avoid using the same vocabulary as their sources and instead write using words that make their message as clear and concise as possible. This article takes this to the next step by suggesting that... - MORE -

A resolution that would punish anyone who edits before publishing a news release about water conservation has been watered down and tabled after two Lafayette County meetings on Tuesday. “Under no circumstances is the media allowed to glean information and selectively report it in order to interpret the results for... - MORE -

The UW-Madison Center for Journalism Ethics is taking nominations for the Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics. The Shadid Award is different from other journalism prizes in that it seeks to recognize the difficult, behind-the-scenes decisions reporters make in pursuing high-impact stories and in fulfilling their ethical obligations to sources,... - MORE -

UPDATED: The resolution mentioned below will not be considered. Read more. ______________________________________ A committee in Lafayette County is proposing a resolution that would punish anyone who edits before publishing a news release about water conservation. The resolution was brought to the attention of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Under no... - MORE -

A campaign getting underway today aims to generate support for protecting press freedoms. The Protect Press Freedom campaign calls on community members to step up to help protect the press freedom that makes it possible for journalists to do accountability reporting. More information and a list of ways to participate... - MORE -

The Radio Television Digital News Foundation is taking applications for scholarships and fellowships for student and early career journalists. More than $35,000 in journalism scholarships and fellowships will be awarded in May 2020. Nine scholarships for journalism students and four fellowships for new professionals for are available, and recipients are... - MORE -

Poynter has opened registration on three leadership programs for women in media. The “Leadership Academy for Women in Media” takes place at the Poynter Institute in February, April, and October. Learn more here. “How Any Journalist Can Earn Trust” takes place at the Poynter Institute on Feb. 10, 2020.... - MORE -

The WBA Awards season is underway with today’s release of the WBA Awards brochure. Read about all the updates to the awards program here and get inspired by checking out last year’s award winners here. Get out your calendars: The contest opens Dec. 1, it closes on Jan.... - MORE -

Wisconsin’s tradition of government transparency rests on the state’s open records and open meetings laws. They declare that nearly every government document is open to public inspection, and nearly every meeting of groups formed to do governmental work must be open to the public. Unfortunately, those laws are woefully underenforced.... - MORE -