From the editor
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Tommy Washbush
A taste of Madison
Isthmus through the years.
Tommy Washbush / Freepik
We couldn’t do it without ‘em
They don’t do it for the money. Isthmus’ freelance contributors, who range from beginning writers to veterans, write about what they care about, bringing different passions and voices to the paper.
Mar 9, 2026
Tommy Washbush / Freepik
Republicans take up ‘anti-SLAPP’ legislation
Now that Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature introduced their own ‘anti-SLAPP’ legislation, the bills passed in committee unanimously. But a floor vote is uncertain.
Feb 9, 2026
Tommy Washbush
Onward and upward
Among the developments for the new year, Isthmus is providing employee health benefits for the first time since becoming a nonprofit in 2021.
Jan 9, 2026
Support local news — just don’t call it journalism
A large scale study of people’s views on local news has some surprising findings.
Dec 8, 2025
Judith Davidoff
Isthmus is a nonprofit, pass it on!
Isthmus will celebrate five years as a nonprofit next year yet some people in the community are unaware of the transition and many changes at the paper.
Nov 7, 2025
Paige V Photography
Why the attacks on free speech are working
The title of this year’s annual conference hosted by UW-Madison’s Center for Journalism Ethics was ‘Journalism Ethics In A Fracturing World.’ Director Katy Culver said the subject matter has never been ‘more urgent.’
Oct 6, 2025
Arash Nikkhah
Journalism in the age of AI
A new journalism center at the UW-Madison’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications plans to help newsrooms develop AI policies and tools that fit with their organizational culture.
Sep 4, 2025
1:00 PM
Tommy Washbush / Freepik
Shrinking newsrooms are not a hallucination
The State Journal has so far declined to offer any more information about a story with made-up information that appeared on the front page of the Sunday paper.
Aug 7, 2025
2:00 PM
Jim Gill / WPR
A time of upheaval for public media
Even before federal funding cuts seemed imminent, public media has been struggling.
Jul 7, 2025
10:00 AM
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.
Jun 12, 2025
10:00 AM
Freepik
Can we get some answers here?
It’s getting harder to land interviews and get information from elected officials.
May 5, 2025
9:00 AM
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
8:00 AM
