During the public hearing on the lame-duck bills Dec. 3, at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, members of the public bang on the doors and chant to be let into the hearing room. Police secured the doors, trying to control the crowd. This photo won an award from the Milwaukee Press Club for Best News Photograph. Credit: Emily Hamer / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
We are Wisconsin Watch. Here’s why you can trust us:
Wisconsin Watch is a nonpartisan, nonprofit investigative news outlet. We increase the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Our work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
We currently have reporters based in Madison, Milwaukee, and Oshkosh, and have other members of our robust editorial and business teams located across the state. We collaborate and share our content with mainstream and niche media across Wisconsin and the nation.
We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization operated by a professional staff under the guidance of a nationally noted board of directors. Our legal name is Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (WCIJ Inc.).
Wisconsin Watch is a founding member of the Institute for Nonprofit News, a group of nonprofit journalism organizations that conduct investigative reporting in the public interest.
Wisconsin Watch is a member of the Trust Project, a global network of news organizations that has developed transparency standards to help news readers assess the quality and credibility of journalism. Learn more about how we incorporate the Trust Indicators on our site.
Wisconsin Watch is a member of The Global Investigative Journalism Network, an international network of nonprofit organizations founded to support, promote and produce investigative journalism.
Wisconsin Watch is a member of the International Fact-Checking Network, a network that brings together a growing community of fact-checkers around the world and advocates of factual information in the global fight against misinformation.
Our mission:
To increase the quality, quantity and understanding of investigative journalism to foster an informed citizenry and strengthen democracy.
Our values:
Wisconsin Watch values truth and pursues it through accurate, fair, independent, rigorous and nonpartisan reporting. We also value transparency, collaboration, innovation and a spirit of public service. These values guide Wisconsin Watch’s training of journalists and its investigations, which seek to protect the interests of people in vulnerable circumstances, expose wrongdoing and deficiencies in systems, and explore solutions to problems.
Our guiding principles:
Protect the vulnerable. Expose wrongdoing. Explore solutions.
It’s been a busy year for journalism, and while our reporters have covered stories around the state, they’ve also taken cameras along to document the people, places and stories of Wisconsin that mean the most to our readers.
Here’s a glimpse at some of our best photojournalism from 2018. We also have a lot more great work in the pipeline for 2019, so stay tuned for more of our award-winning journalism in the year to come!
Scott Walker blows a kiss to the crowd during the State of the State address at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison on Jan. 24. Credit: Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Students and others rally against gun violence as they march to the Wisconsin State Capitol on March 14. The rally was followed by speeches on the steps and chanting inside the Capitol as protesters tried to get the attention of legislators. Credit: Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Julie Routhieaux, administrative specialist for the village of Little Chute, Wis., climbs into the DS200 scanner and tabulator voting machine to clear a paper jam caused by a stuck absentee ballot. Also seen are Rita Mollen, chief election inspector, left, Municipal Clerk Laurie Decker, center, and Deborah Hermsen, election-chief-in-training, right. Decker said that the paper jam, or the act of clearing it, had no effect on election security. Related story:Voting systems in Wisconsin, a key swing state, can be hacked, security experts warnCredit: Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Eve Clark, 10, is nuzzled by a calf during feeding time at Vision-Aire Farms. Also pictured is her cousin, Addison Grade, 7. Eve, along with her siblings and cousins, regularly take care of the animals and other chores around the farm. Photo shot on assignment for NPR. Related story:For Wisconsin’s Dairy Farmers, Tariffs Could Reshape The Race For The SenateCredit: Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
A Latino employee who asked not to be named takes a break from mopping the floor at a Chinese restaurant in Waukegan, Ill. He says managers treat the employees well and offer them a decent place to stay, but do not pay workers overtime or the minimum wage. Related story:Asian restaurants and Chicago employment agencies accused of exploiting Latino workers in MidwestCredit: Alexandria Arriaga / Chicago Sun-Times
Tony Megna is a former UW-Badger linebacker who quit playing football after his sophomore season due to debilitating headaches he says were caused by repeated concussions. He is now the owner of Integrated Heights Healing and Wellness Center in Mt. Pleasant, Wis. He credits acupuncture, massage and traditional Eastern medicine as being critical to his recovery. Here he demonstrates his techniques on Connery Flannery, 24, a semi-pro receiver and quarterback with the Racine Raiders on March 16. Related story: Former Badger plans legal action; says he ‘wasn’t aware of brain injury’ riskCredit: Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
A group of citizens gathers at the Wisconsin State Capitol on March 13, to protest the inclusion of a $350 million prison on a bill that would have made unrelated changes to probation and parole. The prison measure was added after the public hearing and would have resulted in the first new prison in Wisconsin in 17 years. The Senate declined to take up the bill. Related story:Last-minute surprises and secretive moves hide Wisconsin lawmakers’ actions from public viewCredit: Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Robert Rolley, a retired Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wildlife research biologist, says he has seen regular citizens lose influence over natural resource decisions. He is seen here at his home in Baraboo, Wis., on May 21. “There is a long history in the DNR of listening to public input prior to making management decisions,” says Rolley, who worked at the agency for 25 years. “What has changed is which citizens the DNR Board and administration is interested in listening to.” Related story:Wisconsin residents see democracy decline, reflecting national discontent with governmentCredit: Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Evan Barczynski, 25, watches early election results at the Scott Walker watch party at the Ingleside Hotel in Pewaukee, Wis. on Nov. 6. “I’m voting for the side I believe stands with God. I’m pro-life, It’s about the babies.” Related photo essay: Spending election night with Scott Walker supporters, as elation turns to dismayCredit: Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Protesters gather on the Capitol steps to oppose bills that would restrict early voting and limit the powers of Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul and Governor-elect Tony Evers. During the Dec. 3 protest, the Joint Finance Committee heard public testimony against the bills in a hearing inside the Capitol. Related photo essay: Wisconsin’s frenetic lame duck sessionCredit: Emily Hamer / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
Scroll down to copy and paste the code of our article into your CMS. The codes for images, graphics and other embeddable elements may not transfer exactly as they appear on our site.
*** Also, the code below will NOT copy the featured image on the page. You are welcome to download the main image as a separate element for publication with this story. ***
You are welcome to republish our articles for free using the following ground rules.
Credit should be given, in this format: “By Dee J. Hall, Wisconsin Watch”
Editing material is prohibited, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and in-house style (for example, using “Waunakee, Wis.” instead of “Waunakee” or changing “yesterday” to “last week”)
Other than minor cosmetic and font changes, you may not change the structural appearance or visual format of a story.
If published online, you must include the links and link to wisconsinwatch.org
If you share the story on social media, please mention @wisconsinwatch (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram), and ensure that the original featured image associated with the story is visible on the social media post.
Don’t sell the story or any part of it — it may not be marketed as a product.
Don’t extract, store or resell Wisconsin Watch content as a database.
Don’t sell ads against the story. But you can publish it with pre-sold ads.
Your website must include a prominent way to contact you.
Additional elements that are packaged with our story must be labeled.
Users can republish our photos, illustrations, graphics and multimedia elements ONLY with stories with which they originally appeared. You may not separate multimedia elements for standalone use.
If we send you a request to change or remove Wisconsin Watch content from your site, you must agree to do so immediately.
For questions regarding republishing rules please contact Jeff Bauer, digital editor and producer, at jbauer@wisconsinwatch.org
Our top 10 photos of 2018
by Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch December 20, 2018
Coburn Dukehart is an Associate Director at Wisconsin Watch. She joined the organization in 2015 as the Digital and Multimedia Director. She is currently head of product and audience, directs visual and digital strategy; creates visual content; manages digital assets and trains student and professional journalists. Dukehart previously was a senior photo editor at National Geographic, picture and multimedia editor at NPR, and a photo editor at USATODAY.com and washingtonpost.com. She has received numerous awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, National Press Photographers Association, Pictures of the Year International and the White House News Photographers Association.
