Records advocates plan traveling show

Among the many remarkable things about the defeat of the proposed overhaul of the Wisconsin Public Records Law over the July 4 weekend last summer was the way the media, open government groups, advocacy organizations on the left and right, and the public coalesced to point out how ill-conceived the idea was.

The reaction to this sneak attack on open government was immediate, overwhelming and decisive. No other issue in state government in recent years has generated such a uniform—and effective—response. Gov. Scott Walker and the legislature leaders backed down within 48 hours.

Lawmakers seemed chastened, but advocates of open government must remain vigilant. In fact, the efforts to restrict the public’s access to information have not stopped.

It’s not a stretch to suggest that open government in Wisconsin is threatened; some might say it’s under attack. That’s because the attempt to gut the records law is just one of several examples from the past year suggesting lawmakers’ disregard for the public’s right to know.

In response, the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council and the Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists are joining with open government advocates from both sides of the political aisle and media groups to bring what we’re calling the Open Government Traveling Show to communities across the state.

For three days in mid-March, during the nationwide celebration of open government known as Sunshine Week, we’ll be offering a 90-minute tutorial and presentation on the state’s open records law in eight Wisconsin cities. The goal is to help Wisconsin residents understand how the law can be used and why it is important.

In addition to WFOIC, SPJ-Madison and lawyer April Barker of Schott, Bublitz and Engel S.C., the conservative groups the MacIver Institute for Public Policy, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty and the liberal groups the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and the Center for Media and Democracy will take part in the Open Government Traveling Show. Despite their differences on many policy issues, these groups agree on the importance of open government.

And in fact, representatives of the MacIver Institute and WILL, along with Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel, were among the most influential voices last year opposing the records changes at the Capitol.

Also supporting the Traveling Show is the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.

From March 15 to 17, the tour will visit eight cities: La Crosse, Eau Claire, Wausau, Green Bay, Appleton, Sheboygan, Waukesha and Janesville. If it’s successful, we’ll consider another tour in the future.

Wisconsin’s open records law is a vital component of our representative democracy. It should be strengthened, not weakened. And we must fight to protect it.

Your Right to Know is a monthly column distributed by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council (www.wisfoic.org), a nonprofit group dedicated to open government. Council member Mark Pitsch is an assistant city editor at the Wisconsin State Journal and president of the Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

February 23, 2016

Contact: Mark Pitsch, (608) 252-6145; Bill Lueders, (608) 669-4712

Open Government Advocates to Take Show on the Road

Advocates of open government in Wisconsin are planning a three-day, eight-city informational tour to highlight the importance of the state’s open records law, in the wake of unprecedented attacks from state lawmakers and others.

“An open society depends on open government. Wisconsin residents understand that,” says Mark Pitsch, president of the Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and an assistant city editor at the Wisconsin State Journal. “Last summer’s attempt to gut the records law is just one of several recent examples of official disregard for the public’s right to know. It’s time for education and vigilance.”

The “Open Government Traveling Show” will take place from Tuesday, March 15, through Thursday, March 17, as part of national Sunshine Week, the annual “celebration of access to public information.”

The events—free and open to the public—are aimed at helping Wisconsin residents understand the open records law and how to use it. Each 90-minute presentation will feature a tutorial on the records law and examples of its use by journalists and advocates.

Participants will include representatives of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, the Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, the Center for Media and Democracy, the MacIver Institute for Public Policy and Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

The tour is also supported by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. Each stop has its own local sponsor.

The traveling show will take place in the following locations:

La Crosse: March 15, 2 p.m. La Crosse Public Library. Local sponsor: La Crosse Tribune.

Eau Claire: March 15, 7 p.m. Centennial Hall, Room 1614, UW-Eau Claire. Local sponsor: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, UW-Eau Claire chapter, Society of Professional Journalists

Wausau: March 16, 10 a.m. Marathon County Public Library. Local sponsor: Wausau Daily Herald-USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Green Bay: March 16, 2 p.m. Green Bay Public Library. Local Sponsor: Green Bay Press-Gazette-USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Appleton: March 16, 7:30 p.m. Appleton Public Library. Local sponsor: Appleton Post-Crescent-USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Sheboygan: March 17, 10 a.m. Sheboygan Public Library. Local sponsor: Sheboygan Press-USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Waukesha: March 17, 2 p.m, Waukesha Public Library. Local sponsor: Schott, Bublitz and Engel S.C.

Janesville: March 17, 7 p.m. Blackhawk Technical College. Local sponsor: Janesville Gazette

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July 5, 2015

Gov. Scott Walker

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos

Dear Gov. Walker, Sen. Fitzgerald and Rep. Vos:

The Madison professional chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists applauds your decision to remove in its entirety language from the 2015-17 budget that would alter the state’s open records law. We are pleased that you listened to us and to the broad spectrum of opponents – liberal and conservative interest groups, Republican and Democratic lawmakers, open government advocates and journalists, and others — to the changes proposed by the Joint Finance Committee.

Your decision is a victory for open government and government transparency. In that spirit, we encourage all elected officials and others involved in preparing this language to acknowledge their roles in the process.

In the future, any consideration of changes to the open records law should take place in public and with the public, and should focus on increasing openness and transparency rather than the opposite.

Mark Pitsch, president, SPJ Madison;  Joe Radske, director, SPJ Region 6

VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL

July 3, 2015

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos

Dear Sen. Fitzgerald and Rep. Vos:

James Madison, Father of the Bill of Rights, Federalist Papers author, and the man for whom our capital city is named, was perhaps the nation’s first public records advocate. He argued that citizens must gain access to information to be full participants in its government:

“A popular Government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”

Indeed. Perhaps this is why so many — conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, journalists and open government advocates, and others – have expressed outrage in the last 24 hours at the language inserted into the 2015-17 budget gutting our public records law.

The Madison professional chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists urges you and your chamber to please take heed of Founding Father Madison’s advice: Remove this language from the budget bill and arm the public with the knowledge that will help it be full partners in our democratic republic.

For decades, Wisconsin has had a proud tradition of open government, and the language inserted Thursday by the Joint Finance Committee through a 999 Motion would nearly eliminate any opportunity for the public to discover how its taxpayer-funded elected officials work.

Further, the language would wipe out nearly a century of drafting-file history.  Founded in 1901, the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau has maintained records that help the public understand how and why legislation is drafted. These records provide a crucial historical purpose but are also a valuable contemporary resource for the public, scholars and journalists.

The press has a responsibility to serve as a watchdog on the work of government officials. We are the eyes and the ears of the public. As a result, public officials may have, at times, an uneasy relationship with us. Public officials may not always appreciate the work we do, or like the stories we write and produce.  Under this proposal, you may avoid an unflattering news story now and again, but you will have done lasting damage to the democratic process in Wisconsin.

It is also disappointing that the Joint Finance Committee included this language in the 999 Motion on the final day of its work with little opportunity for public debate, and on the day before a long July 4^th holiday weekend during which our country celebrates its freedom and independence – including the First Amendment. James Madison, lover of liberty and guardian against tyranny, would be appalled.

Sincerely,

Mark Pitsch, president, SPJ Madison;  Joe Radske, director, SPJ Region 6

Cc:

Gov. Scott Walker

Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling

Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca

Senator John Nygren

Senator Alberta Darling

The discussion takes place from 7-8:30 pm on Monday, June 1, at UW-Madison’s Memorial Union. Check Today in the Union (TITU) that day for the room assignment.

It features Jessica Arp of WISC-TV in Madison, winner of the 2014 UW-Madison Nafziger Award for Achievement within 10 Years of Graduation; Matthew DeFour of the Wisconsin State Journal, 2014 co-winner of Milwaukee Press Club’s beat reporting and investigative story of the year awards; Patrick Marley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, co-author of “More Than They Bargained For: Scott Walker, Unions and the Fight for Wisconsin;” and Michael Wagner, UW-Madison professor of journalism and political science and co-author of “Political Behavior of the American Electorate.”

The event is free and open to the public, who will have an opportunity to hear from journalists directly about political reporting, and to ask questions. All area journalists are especially welcome to attend, and membership in SPJ is not necessary.

Based in Indianapolis, SPJ is a national membership organization that promotes high professional and ethical standards among journalists, First Amendment principles and the belief that a free and vigorous press is vital in a representative democracy. The Madison professional chapter was formed around 1990. Membership costs $75 annually, and it is open to journalists who spend at least half of their professional life writing or editing work for publication.

Contact: Mark Pitsch, [email protected]; 608-252-6145

To help Madison and Wisconsin journalists improve their data skills, the Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is offering a one-day training seminar on the subject Friday, May 8 at Capital Newspapers, 1901 Fish Hatchery Road, Madison.

The session features Urban Institute researcher and UW-Madison graduate Jon Schwabish and Madison-area journalists who use data. It is free for SPJ members and students; the cost is $30 for others. Lunch will be provided. To register, go to our Eventbrite page here.

The session lineup:

9-9:30 am: Registration

9:30-10:30 am: The Growing Importance of Data Visualization
We live in an era where the amount and importance of data is expanding swiftly. Changes in technology are changing the way people interact and consume that information and data. And as producers of content, we need to be visual because—simply put—people are visual. That visual content needs to pair well with our audience and their needs, striking the right balance between truth, beauty, and content. Effectively visualizing data is one means by which content producers, researchers, and storytellers can tap into this new wave of data and people’s changing ways of receiving information.

With Jon Schwabish, Urban Institute, @jschwabish

10:30-11:45 am: Teach Yourself to Be a Data Reporter
Learn how to build your data skills from scratch with the most essential tools necessary.

With Todd Milewski, data reporter, Capital Times, @ToddMilewski  and Nick Heynen, data reporter, Capital Newspapers, @NickHeynen

11:45-12:45 pm: Lunch and Networking

12:45-1:45 pm: Open Refine
Learn how to use this nifty program that helps you quickly and efficiently find and fix errors in your messy data. Find and root out data entry inconsistencies, misspellings and other mistakes with this powerful tool.  We’ll teach you how to get started, and point out where to go to learn more.

With Nick Heynen

1:45-3 pm: Tableau Public Demo
We’ll demonstrate how to use this free program for Mac or PC to make data visualizations — first to find out what the story is and what’s wrong with the data, and then to tell a story through a pretty interactive graphic. No programming skills required; mere mortals can learn this.

With Kate Golden, multimedia director and reporter, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, @wiswatchkate

To register, click here.

For more information contact Mark Pitsch, SPJ Madison president, at 608-252-6145.

SPJ Madison, Next Door Brewing collaborate on American wheat beer to honor the First Amendment, open government and Wisconsin journalism

MADISON – The Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and Next Door Brewing invite journalists and advocates of open government to celebrate Sunshine Week with the tapping of Sunshine Wheat, an American wheat beer featuring local hops and malts, on Monday, March 16.

The celebration takes place from 6-9 p.m. at Next Door Brewing, 2439 Atwood Avenue, Madison. The first 50 attendees will receive a souvenir beer glass thanks to the generous lead sponsorship of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. WKOW-TV, the Wisconsin State Journal, Schott, Bublitz and Engel, and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism are supporting sponsors. Two tickets to upcoming Isthmus events – Isthmus Food Cart Fest, Paddle & Portage, Beer & Cheese Fest — will be awarded in a drawing, courtesy of Isthmus. With Gusto is making a poster for the event, prints of which will be available for $15 each.

Next Door head brewer Bryan Kreiter will speak about creating the beer and his use of local ingredients at 7 p.m. He will be followed with remarks by WNA executive director Beth Bennett about Sunshine Week.

Invited special guests include Wisconsin food and beer writers Chris “Beer Baron” Drosner, Robin Shepard, Laurel White, Linda Falkenstein, Barry Adams, Kathy Flanigan and George Zens.

March 16 is the 264^th anniversary of the birth of James Madison, father of the First Amendment and the man for whom the City of Madison is named. Sunshine Week, a national event in support of open government, runs March 15-21.

The event is free, and all area journalists are welcome to attend. There will be a cash bar; appetizers will be provided. RSVPs are appreciated to [email protected].

Based in Indianapolis, SPJ is a national membership organization that promotes high professional and ethical standards among journalists, First Amendment principles and the belief that a free and vigorous press is vital in a representative democracy. The Madison professional chapter was formed around 1990. Membership costs $75 annually, and it is open to journalists who spend at least half of their professional life writing or editing work for publication.

Contact: Mark Pitsch, [email protected]; 608-252-6145

The field of journalism education is changing, just as the field of journalism is changing but the need for people who can communicate continues because the hunger for information continues. The hunger remains even as the vehicles for information distribution continue to change and expand in number.

The September 24, 2014 panel discussion at Edgewood College, sponsored by the Madison Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Simpson Street Free Press, offered insights from college and high school level educators.

Download or Listen to the Audio of this Forum  (90 minutes)

Kim Hixson

Kim Hixson, chairman of the UW-Whitewater Communications Department, expressed the concern that downsizing in the news media is a danger to democracy. Thus it was important that journalists continue to be well-prepared for the jobs that they would hold. But because of the changes in news distribution, the UW-Whitewater Communications Department has added new courses covering journalism for the web, and social media.

Jon Netzler

Jon Netzler, journalism teacher at Stoughton High School and adviser for The Norse Star student newspaper, said that the Stoughton student journalists  are excited about working on their newspaper because they have the freedom to report on what they want. “That one thing is everything,” he said. He also observed, “Students are communcating in new ways that people don’t always understand.”

Deidre Green

Deirdre Green,  managing editor of the Simpson Street Free Press, noted that their journalism model for improving student performance is working well. “When kids write well they go to school motivated and prepared,” she said. “Students improving academic skills are learning job skills.”

Linda Frank

Linda Friend, adjunct faculty in the Edgewood College English Department and former public television producer, said that the Edgewood College student newspaper is no longer offered in print because it became too expensive. Students are now posting their stories online. Edgewood works with the Simpson Street Free Press and each SSFP student is mentored by an Edgewood college student, one on one.

Hemant Shah

Hemant Shah, director of the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said that journalism does have a future because journalism school grads are still getting hired. Studnets still need to receive sound training in the fundamental communcations skills. The University of Wisconsin is integrating journalism with strategic communications in order to offer a broader training to students.

In the question and answer session that followed the presentations, one educator in the audience noted that students who write well and love to write still have lots of outlets available. “Many organizations are news organizations that never were before, such as non-profits,” he said. Non-profiits are producing a lot more stories about their activities and need staff who can write those stories. There are still jobs for journalists.

Journalism Education Panel

NASHVILLE — Delegates of the Society of Professional Journalists voted overwhelmingly Saturday to approve a revised Code of Ethics. The voice vote came at the Society’s business meeting at its annual convention.

A committee of the Society spent the past year studying the current code and proposing changes. It had not been updated in nearly two decades. The committee’s work underwent revisions in the days leading up to the vote, and several amendments were accepted in Nashville.

An informal online poll of SPJ members showed that three of every four members who voted approved of the changes.

Delegates on Saturday also rejected a proposal to change the organization’s name to the Society for Professional Journalism.

Delegates are chosen by local chapters and the number of delegates allotted each chapter is determined by the number of members in each chapter. The Madison chapter had one delegate.

Also, SPJ members elected Dana Neuts president, Paul Fletcher president-elect, and Lynn Walsh secretary-treasurer. Neuts is a freelance writer in the Seattle area. Fletcher is publisher and editor-in-chief of Virginia Lawyers Weekly. Walsh is national digital producer for the Scripps network of news organizations.

On Friday the Madison chapter received a certificate for outstanding work by a small chapter in advancing relations with campuses. At left is Joe Radske, SPJ Madison executive committee member and SPJ national board member, with the certificate.

Mark Pitsch, chapter president, received the Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Member of the Year Award at the president’s installation banquet on Saturday.

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Aug. 28, 2014

Contact: Mark Pitsch, president, Madison pro chapter Society of Professional Journalists, 608-252-6145

MADISON – The Society of Professional Journalists this week named its Madison pro chapter to this year’s “Circle of Excellence” for helping revive SPJ’s UW-Madison campus chapter.

The Circle of Excellence is a collection of awards that recognizes outstanding work in five areas: First Amendment/freedom of information, professional development, chapter communications, diversity and campus relations.

SPJ Madison secretary Breann Schossow, weekend assignment editor at WKOW-27, worked closely with UW-Madison students and professor Lucas Graves to help revive the campus chapter.

“It was simply a delight to help the students re-start their chapter,” Schossow says. “They’re passionate and wanted their fellow journalism students to benefit from the opportunities that SPJ offers.

Earlier this year, SPJ named Madison chapter president Mark Pitsch its Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Pro Member of the Year in the small chapter category. Since 2011, the Madison chapter has twice been a finalist for small chapter of the year.

The Madison pro chapter serves to support journalism and journalists, promote First Amendment and ethical principals, and help the public understand what journalists do. SPJ membership is $75 annually.

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