From the editor
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Local government’s mixed record on meeting notices
Wisconsin’s open meeting law says agendas should be detailed and specific and reasonably inform the public of the specific items to be considered or placed before the public body. Some notices meet this bar and some don’t.
Freepik
Can we get some answers here?
It’s getting harder to land interviews and get information from elected officials.
May 5, 2025
Taylor Kilgore
In ‘media’ we don’t trust
When polls focus on local news rather than national media, people indicate greater trust and connection.
Apr 7, 2025
Tommy Washbush / Freepik
Testing norms, teaching civics
The president of the United States is aggressively testing the limits of his executive power and other political norms. How to teach civics in this moment?
Mar 10, 2025
Tommy Washbush / Freepik
Local news in the time of Trump 2.0
How should local media manage coverage during a time of national turbulence and disruption?
Feb 10, 2025
City of Madison via YouTube
Let’s all take a minute
At a Dec. 17 news conference following the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway chastised reporters for asking when the names of victims would be released.
Jan 6, 2025
10 reasons to support Isthmus
Exclusive stories. Comprehensive calendar. Quality writing. These are just some of the reasons to support the work of Isthmus.
Dec 31, 2024
Madison is rich in nonprofit media
Public radio and public television — here and across the country — have long operated as a nonprofit, but the model is relatively new for print publications like Isthmus.
Nov 8, 2024
10:30 AM
Drake White-Bergey
Journalism in the service of democracy
With a stipend from Democracy Day, Isthmus and WORT teamed up to gauge whether Wisconsin’s new electoral maps increased civic engagement in a newly competitive district.
Oct 8, 2024
8:00 AM
Print makes a comeback
The Onion, the parody newspaper that began in Madison in 1988, returned to print in August, 11 years after it went online-only.
Sep 10, 2024
9:00 AM
Next stop: Madison
Isthmus will host the annual convention for AAN Publishers in July 2025. It will be an opportunity to showcase the city and the work Isthmus and our colleagues do in local journalism.
Aug 6, 2024
9:00 AM
Chali Pittman
Madison ‘fanboy’
Dylan Brogan is the latest Madison journalist to cross over to strategic communications. In May he was named the city’s first communications manager.
Jul 9, 2024
10:00 AM
Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprof
Journalist scores win in lawsuit over public employee gag rule
In an apparent first, a journalist has successfully sued a public agency over its policy prohibiting employees from speaking to reporters without permission.
Jun 10, 2024
8:00 AM
