Gilman Halsted, a retired Wisconsin Public Radio reporter who produced award-winning examinations of the state’s criminal justice system, has been named the 2017 recipient of the Distinguished Wisconsin Watchdog Award. Over the course of two decades, Halsted became a familiar voice to WPR listeners, working for six years in the Wausau bureau before moving to Madison in 2000. He covered the courts and the prison system and also wrote and produced general assignment stories for

Society of Professional Journalists, Madison Chapter Monthly Business Meeting Jan. 4, 2016, 7:00 p.m. Next Door Brewing Company, 2439 Atwood Ave., Madison Agenda Jan. 4, 2016 Call to order Approval of minutes Treasurer’s Report Membership Report President’s Report Holiday Party and Raffle, Dec. 17 Open Government Traveling Show update Reporting on Religion planning Watchdog Awards update Upcoming event ideas: Spotlight, Podcasting training, Meet the Media, Freelance event

MADISON — The Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, in conjunction with the state Capitol press corps, will hold its annual Holiday Mixer and Raffle on Thursday, Dec. 17. The event will be held from 6-9 p.m. at the Argus Bar, 123 E. Main St., just a block off the Capitol Square in Madison. All area journalists and journalism supporters are invited, and the event is free. The party will feature a pot-luck meal, so please bring an appetizer, side dish, mai

SPJ Madison and SPJ Region 6 sent this letter today: 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 Governm

Students invited to submit writing, video and cartoon pieces on the meaning of the First Amendment MADISON, WIS — With personal freedoms being assaulted and abridged around the world, the Madison Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is sponsoring a high school publication contest, Freedom Ring, which will include editorial writing, video and editorial cartoon items. “Receiving a journalism award is more than a certificate and a line on a resume. It’s realizing t

The American wheat beer will debut March 16 at a celebration of Sunshine Week, the annual event honoring open government and the First Amendment. The celebration takes place from 6-9 p.m. at Next Door, 2439 Atwood Ave., Madison. Sunshine Wheat features brewers malt, flaked wheat and crystal wheat from Wisconsin-based Briess Malt and Ingredients Company and Brewer’s Gold hops from Gorst Valley Hops of Mazomanie. It will feature an exotic dry hop. Sunshine Wheat will hold 4.8 p

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 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, off

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 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 developme

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lauren Fuhrmann, SPJ Madison Pro chapter vice president lfuhrmann@wisconsinwatch.org MADISON, July 30, 2014 — SPJ Madison Pro chapter president Mark Pitsch has received the 2014 Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Pro Member Award from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) for his outstanding contributions to the local chapter. Pitsch has served as chapter president since 2011. His programming skills and work in reactivating the Madison chapter

In a recent essay discussing the portrayal of Asians in mainstream media outlets, Tom Huang, Sunday and enterprise editor for the Dallas Morning News, suggests that “what’s missing in our coverage are the everyday acts and opinions, quirks and foibles, that make Asians individuals, that make them human.” He might very well have been talking about African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and members of other racial minority groups, too. Too often, stories involving racial

Panelists: Tim Kelley, Jacki Witkowski, Kristian Knutsen and Dietram Scheufele. More than 30 local journalists and members of the public gathered on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013 for a panel discussion hosted by the Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, “Trollish Behavior and the Future of Online Comments.” Panelists included: Dietram Scheufele, the John E. Ross Professor in Science Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Honorary Professor of

The Society of Professional Journalists announced this week that Gina Barton, John Diedrich and Ben Poston earned the 2013 Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award for their investigation into the Milwaukee Police Department. Their Milwaukee Journal Sentinel series “Police Problems: A Fight for Accountability” will be honored Aug. 26 at the SPJ-RTDNA-NAHJ Excellence in Journalism conference. The award comes with a $10,000 prize. It is presented by the Sigma Delta Chi Foundatio

By Mark Pitsch The state’s Republican-led budget committee may have done no greater favor for the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism than voting to evict it from two tiny offices in UW-Madison’s Vilas Hall. Since the early morning, back-room decision surfaced last week, the center has received the kind of national attention – from media and political sources of all ideological stripes – only winning a Pulitzer Prize might have generated. But that’s the good news. T

June 5, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mark Pitsch, 608-252-6145 MADISON – The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism is an important part of the media landscape in Wisconsin. Its criminal justice, environmental, political and other reporting has garnered national and statewide attention – including by the Wisconsin Legislature – and its work is made available for free on the center’s website and to media outlets statewide. The center’s work with UW-Madison has be

SPJ Madison sent this letter Thursday to Sens. Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin: In a letter to a friend, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “Our liberty cannot be guarded but by freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.” Jefferson noted in his letter to John Jay that Americans should be “governed by reason and truth” and that the most effective avenue toward such “is the freedom of the press. It is, therefore, the first shut up by those who fear the investigat

Society of Professional Journalists, Madison Pro Chapter Monthly Business Meeting June 3, 2013, 7:00 p.m. Vintage Brewing Company, 674 S. Whitney Way, Madison Agenda June 3, 2013 I. Call to Order II. Approval of Minutes III. Treasurer’s Report IV. Membership Report V. President’s Report A. National Freedom of Information Coalition summit B. Chester Wells Memorial Celebration C. Business Journalism Training D. Excellence in Journalism Conference Aug. 24-27 E.

Society of Professional Journalists, Madison Pro Chapter Monthly Business Meeting May 6, 2013, 7:00 p.m. Vintage Brewing Company, 674 S. Whitney Way, Madison Agenda May 6, 2013 I. Call to Order II. Approval of Minutes III. Treasurer’s Report IV. Membership Report V. President’s Report A. Midwest Journalism Conference B. Watchdog Awards C. Carrie Johnson: April 18 D. Simpson Street Free Press: Open House April 30 VI. DISCUSSION/ACTION: Chester Wells Event Updat

The Daily Cardinal of UW-Madison was named Best All-Around Daily Newspaper in Region 6 in the Society of Professional Journalists’ annual Mark of Excellence Awards. The UWM Post at UW-Milwaukee was named the top non-daily paper. Curb was named the best student magazine. And WRST-FM at UW-Oshkosh won best all-around radio newscast. The Region Six awards were announced on Friday, April 12 in Bloomington, Minn. Individual first-place winners were: Caitlin PenzeyMoog and Zach Erd

The ever-evolving media landscape has changed the practice and demands of journalism forever. Traditional newsroom resources are shrinking while new media – including bloggers, citizen journalists and partisans – are emerging. But have the principles of ethical journalism changed? The Madison pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists invites you to learn more about the ethical standards of our profession and engage in discussion with your colleagues about this im