Cover designs featuring the 'Earl and the Environment' and 'Good Government vs. Good Politics' stories.
Former Gov. Tony Earl, a year after being the subject of a critical cover story, left, penned an essay about governing in a swing state.
Vince O’Hern hired me as news editor of Isthmus in March 1986, just before the paper’s 10th anniversary. In my ensuing quarter-century at the paper, this was my one and only official title. The job description, which I kept in my desk, began with this transcendent line: “The news editor is in charge of making sure that news-minded people find the paper worth reading.”
I like to think that, in the more than 1,300 weekly editions published during my time in this role, encompassing hundreds of writers and thousands of stories and millions of words, that Isthmus lived up to this ideal, as it does to this day. I am proud of the reporting we did, the light we shed, the values we stood for, the integrity we showed.
In the fall of 1986, Isthmus ran a cover story by frequent contributor Katherine Esposito that was critical of Gov. Tony Earl’s environmental record. It was a legitimate story, especially given that Earl had previously been secretary of the state Department of Natural Resources. But it was the worst possible timing for the Democratic governor, who was smack dab in the middle of a challenge from Republican Tommy Thompson, who ended up winning. But, as Vince explained it to me, “We bite our friends.” A year after we helped drum him out of office, Earl, showing there were no hard feelings, wrote a long essay for Isthmus, “Good Government vs. Good Politics,” that addressed the difficulties of governing in a purple state.
Isthmus gave and still does give writers the opportunity to cover stories they care about, stories that might make a difference. One archetypal piece was intern-turned-contributing-writer Anthony Shadid’s 1989 article “Steel Dreams,” about the history and untapped potential of Madison’s network of railroad corridors. Shadid went on to win two Pulitzer prizes. He died in Syria in 2012, while working for The New York Times.
Perhaps the thing I am most proud about is the paper’s independence. I remember often saying, in private conversation as well as public engagements, that I didn’t care who read Isthmus or what they thought about it. My point was that any publication worth its salt had to pursue its own vision and not only reflect back what its readers said they wanted, as is sometimes the case. At the same time, I don’t think any news outlet in town was driven more by a desire to be there for ordinary people when something in their life — like, for instance, the threatened removal of a beloved neighborhood tree — prompted them to seek media attention.
Over the years I came to believe that the paper’s greatest challenge was finding ways to maximize its advantages and minimize the disadvantages. No, we did not, in the pre-internet era, have the ability to chase the daily news cycle; but we did have the freedom to take a deeper dive into issues than what the dailies were doing. (Back in the day, Madison had four of them: The Capital Times, Wisconsin State Journal, Daily Cardinal and Badger Herald.)
Isthmus has, over these past five decades, helped frame the discussions through which our community has evolved; embraced the essential work of identifying problems; served to inform minds and sometimes even change them; provided an outlet for writers with important stories to tell, with passion and pluck. The paper has made a difference, in countless and ongoing ways.
I guess you could call it worth reading.
