The Bulletin - July/Aug 2013

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Bulletin THE

News and information for the Wisconsin newspaper industry

July-August 2013

... among the world’s oldest press associations

Darkness creeps in Number of police agencies choosing to redact identifying information from reports grows to 56 Since late 2012, a growing number of police and sheriff’s departments (56 as of Aug. 5) from across Wisconsin have either slowed or stopped the free flow of information regarding their actions — information that had been routinely available. The decision to redact when in doubt flies in the face of Wisconsin’s public records law, which instructs officials to err on the side of openness. WNA has been tracking this issue closely and is working with strategic partners to resolve the situation. A Google map (image at right) has been created to track locations and names of police agencies in Wisconsin that are redacting names and other personal information (obtained from driver’s licensing records) from reports before they are made publicly available: View the map online at https://mapsengine. google.com/map/edit?mid=zOKovNJlUJB4.korzhuB66gg Are you aware of additional agencies that should be added to the list? Please send an email to:Mary.Callen@WNAnews.com

In March, the New Richmond News filed a lawsuit against the City of New Richmond, alleging the city’s police department is unreasonably restricting access to timely information on accident and incident reports, on the basis of a alleged misinterpretation of a recent U.S. Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit ruling. The case is currently awaiting a federal court decision on the newspaper’s motion to return jurisdiction to St. Croix County Circuit Court.

Sign WNA’s petition WNA is gathering signatures in an effort to persuade Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van The number of Wisconsin police agencies choosing to redact identifying information from reports Hollen to reaffirm his 2008 opinion related to the has grown to 56, as of Aug. 5, 2013. Courtesy of Google Maps. Visit: https://mapsengine.google. Driver’s Privacy Protection Act. com/map/edit?mid=zOKovNJlUJB4.k-orzhuB66gg

Oconto chief reverses decision

Signatures will be sent to Van Hollen’s office soon. WNA members still have a few days left to sign the petition online at: By Kent Tempus, Oconto County Reporter — Oconto Police Chief Dan Ault has made a decihttp://www.change.org/petitions/wisconsinattorney-general-j-b-van-hollen-reaffirm-2008-o- sion that’s rare among his law enforcement colleagues in the state of Wisconsin. pinion-related-to-the-driver-s-privacy-protectionAfter decidingto withhold personal information from accident and property crime reports, Ault act reversed course. The department is now providing that information to those involved in accidents Read newspaper coverage of this issue here >> and their representatives, and to a lesser extent, the media and the public. Read more online >>

Your generosity = early success Pages for Tomorrow Program backed by 18 WNA member newspapers thus far In its early stages, WNA Foundation’s Pages for Tomorrow fundraising effort has already received generous support from 18 WNA-member newspapers. The WNAF is a not-for-profit organization created in 1980 to improve the quality and future of Wisconsin’s newspapers and the communities they serve. The foundation solicits, manages and disburses funds and other resources for the benefit of Wisconsin’s newspaper industry and, ultimately, the citizens of the state. WNAF is asking for newspapers to contribute — on an annual basis — a portion of the net proceeds from national rate advertising sold by Customized Newspaper Advertising on behalf of WNA members to support its mission. The Pages for Tomorrow pro-

gram is simple. Through this voluntary charitable program: •WNA members pledge to donate advertising space in their newspaper, equal to one full page of net proceeds for the year. •Members authorize the Foundation to deduct the amount of the pledge from their monthly advertising payments from CNA (Customized Newspaper Advertising) until the pledge amount is reached.

•Members will receive a letter every time funds are contributed from ad checks to the Pages for Tomorrow program. •Each January members will receive a letter stating their newspaper’s total charitable donation to the pages program for the preceding year. •If CNA does not sell advertising into a newspaper, the member will not be expected to donate the difference, unless, of course he or she chooses to do so. To participate, simply complete our electronic pledge form online at http://www.formstack.com/ forms/WNA-2013_Pages_for_ Tomorrow_Pledge_Form-v3 or contact WNA Foundation Director Bonnie Fechtner, Bonnie.Fechtner@ WNAnews.com or (608) 283-7622 for more information.

Pages Program Leaders Tribune-Phonograph, Abbotsford Record Review, Edgar Tribune Record Gleaner, Loyal The Post-Crescent, Appleton Boscobel Dial Tri-County Press, Cuba City Republican Journal, Darlington Fennimore Times Crawford County Independent & The Kickapoo Scout, Gays Mills Hillsboro Sentry-Enterprise Grant County Herald Independent, Lancaster The Gazette, Janesville Star News, Medford The Progressive, Muscoda Platteville Journal Courier Press, Prairie du Chien Rice Lake Chronotype Richland Observer, Richland Center Watertown Daily Times Make your pledge to the program >>


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