Conference panel featuring leading Wisconsin journalists who share their experiences covering the 2022 election and reflect on the state of civic life in the state.
Jessie Opoien, Capital Times
Dan Kaufman, author of The Fall of Wisconsin
Dan Shafer, The Recombobulation Area
Toya Washington, WISN 12 News
Lew Friedland, University of Wisconsin
On the Ten Year History of Gerrymandering In Wisconsin || What I have observed over the years... is the underswell and the growing amount of people who are fully understanding what will come if there is no movement on this. And I think our job, my job as a journalist, is also to fully explain the implications of what’s going on.
One thing that media in general could do a better job of, is to be a little bit more proactive, instead of reactive to what’s happening in the news...I think it’s about reorienting the medias focus - that is perhaps a way to get towards that civic renewal that we’re talking about today.
On the Ten Year History of Gerrymandering In Wisconsin || One of the bipartisan or non partisan traditions of Wisconsin civic life was openness, open government. And there was no input from any member of the public when this happened. And I think that the method of it did reveal a lot about what was to come beyond just the gerrymandering - it was essentially a power grab.
This event would not be possible without the support of The Tow Foundation. Established in 1988 by Leonard and Claire Tow, its mission is to promote wellness and access to opportunities so that individuals and communities can thrive. It invests in innovative programs and reform in culture, higher education, journalism, justice and community wellness, and medicine.