FeaturedMarch 25 2026

Column: Records fees mean records denials

Sheila Plotkin
As founder of We the Irrelevant, a website that tracks how well (or poorly) the actions of legislators match up with what the public has asked them to do, I have sent multiple open records requests to Wisconsin legislators on a variety of controversial initiatives. Each time, I’ve asked... - MORE -

Free legal resources available for covering elections

From DodgertonSkillhause on Moguefile
Journalists covering the 2020 primaries, political conventions and the general election will have special access to pro bono legal services and a range of resources through the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the National Press Photographers Association. “Reporting on elections is always a crucial element of the... - MORE -

Room nearly full for Tompkins election workshop

Nearly 100 journalists and broadcasters spent their Saturday on the UW-Madison campus learning about the 2020 election from Poynter Senior Faculty Al Tompkins. The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association with partners Google News Lab, UW School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and The Poynter Institute offered an intensive day of training to... - MORE -

Recent

  • Make partnering with another newsroom successful
  • Webinar about local election reporting available now
  • Investigative reporting available for free
  • Time running out to register for election training from Al Tompkins
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    • In Depth

    Wisconsin Open Meetings & Records Law

    Civic and legislative leaders of Wisconsin have always felt strongly about the importance of having the public aware of what their governmental bodies are doing. Wisconsin law, with very few exceptions, requires that such meetings be held publicly in places reasonably accessible to members of the public, and that such... - MORE -
    In Depth

    Actual Laws and Important Case References

    You can find the complete text of the state’s open records law and a listing of current and significant cases where the law was tested, and the latest opinions of the Attorney General relating to open records law, at the Wisconsin Freedom Of Information Council’s website. Home Page Open Records ... - MORE -