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In welcoming you behind the scenes of our reporting, we’ve shared plenty about how our newsroom operates — from how we’re covering Washington’s disruption to how your tips shape our coverage of everything from rural homelessness to the return of measles.

Today I want to discuss something more fundamental: Out of the infinite stories we could report at a given time, how do we decide which to pursue with our finite resources?

This requires us to evaluate whether a potential story would fit within our mission and deliver impact for residents. How we do that is something we’re constantly refining. 

Our mission is to make the communities of Wisconsin strong, informed and connected through our journalism. Our intended impact: that people use our reporting to navigate their lives, be seen and heard, hold power to account and come together in community and civic life.

Before green-lighting a story, we consider its potential impact. If we can’t identify any, it’s likely not worth pursuing — at least not yet. We ask where the idea originated (bonus points for ideas directly from the public) or whether other newsrooms have covered this topic. Recognizing that we want to fill gaps rather than re-report the news, we consider whether the story will add knowledge and understanding to previous reporting — and whether our story would elevate different perspectives. 

Another question: Why is it important to tell this story now, as opposed to other stories?

We’ve formalized this process, which begins with a pitch form that reporters fill out and discuss with their editor. The process has sparked productive conversations about how we can best serve the public. In some cases, we’ve decided an idea doesn’t fit. In other cases, the process has persuaded a skeptical editor that a story is worthwhile.

If you have questions about why we have — or have not — reported a particular story, feel free to reach out. I’m at jmalewitz@wisconsinwatch.org.

What makes a Wisconsin Watch story? Mission and impact matter is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Back in February I shared our newsroom’s plan for covering President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. As noted then, whether you love or loathed the disruption in Washington, it promised to deeply affect our lives in Wisconsin. 

And it has.

Five months later, Washington’s whirlwind is still churning — whether it’s the dismantling of the Department of Education, canceled or frozen grants, tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the rich or newly enacted work requirements that are expected to kick people off of Medicaid.

Here is an update on how we’ve leaned into our strengths in keeping communities connected and informed during exhausting news cycles. We promised: 

Reporting that prioritizes your questions and tips

That includes Addie Costello’s tip-inspired feature about Madison’s Yahara House, which focuses on building relationships and job opportunities for adults with serious mental illness — a model shown to work. Costello explored how Wisconsin could expand support for such programs and how federal cuts to Medicaid could jeopardize access.

We’ve also focused on news you can use, such as this story from Devin Blake of Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, which explained people’s rights as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conduct sweeping arrests.

Prioritizing context over speed

When Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested in March for allegedly helping a man without legal status evade federal immigration authorities, we amplified daily updates from our trusted partners at the Associated Press while considering what our specific expertise could add to the conversation. The result: this context-rich story from Jack Kelly about how Dugan’s arrest echoed the arrest of a Massachusetts judge in 2019. 

This approach has shaped how we’ve covered tariffs, frozen funding and disrupted programs. We’ve examined local impacts to adult education students, AmeriCorps volunteers, local farmers, people who are homeless and a program that teaches about Milwaukee’s history — just to name a few.  

It has also informed our coverage of Trump’s self-described big bill-turned law, including what provisions mean for Medicaid recipients and people seeking workforce training. Our fact briefs in partnership with Gigafact have helped readers understand which claims about the bill were true. 

Collaboration

As always, we’ve continued to distribute our reporting for free, team up with other newsrooms on big stories and amplify the great work of our partners. 

In June, Wisconsin Watch’s Natalie Yahr collaborated with Erin McGroarty of the Cap Times to bring you the story of Miguel Jerez Robles, a McFarland man who was among the first people swept up in a wave of arrests inside immigration court buildings. The story illustrated the volatility and randomness of the country’s immigration processes — and the aggressiveness of Trump’s approach. We detailed Jerez’s detention and, shortly after publication, his surprise release.

We additionally republished a pair of stories from The 19th about Yessenia Ruano, a Milwaukee teacher’s aide and mother of twin U.S.-citizen daughters who hoped to avoid a forced return to El Salvador — 14 years after arriving in Wisconsin. The most recent story illustrated Ruano’s farewell to Milwaukee as she and her children left rather than risking detention.

Meanwhile, we’re still rounding up top headlines in our Wisconsin Weekly newsletter, the most recent of which included a WPR story about Trump’s proposal to ax the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, which investigated a 2018 refinery explosion in Superior that injured dozens of workers and forced residents to evacuate. 

We want our coverage to offer you actionable information — and help you digest the most important storylines without feeling overwhelmed.

Let us know how we’re doing. Please keep shaping our reporting by sending your tips, questions and feedback. If you don’t hear from us immediately, please do know that we read everything you send.

How Wisconsin Watch is covering disruption from Washington is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Last week, our newsroom was intrigued by data in this Economist article showing that Wisconsin stands out nationally when it comes to its low vaccination rates for measles. It prompted a discussion about the many reasons for vaccine hesitancy and the complex challenges of maintaining trust in public health. 

One thing is clear: Measles is a very infectious disease, and it’s spreading nationwide. 

As of May 15 officials had confirmed 1,024 measles cases — including more than 100 hospitalizations — across 31 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. 

Officials in 2025 have tracked almost as many measles outbreaks (defined as three or more related cases) as they did in all of 2024. Three deaths this year have been linked to measles. They included two unvaccinated school-aged children in Texas and an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico. 

The outbreaks come as vaccination rates decline nationwide, particularly in Wisconsin. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine rate for Wisconsin kindergartners has plunged since 2019. But even before the COVID-19 pandemic, no county in Wisconsin had more than a 90% vaccination rate, which is traditionally associated with “herd immunity.” 

Wisconsin, The Economist article noted, “is among the most permissive states for vaccine exceptions in schools, allowing opt-out for personal-conviction reasons (along with medical and religious exemptions, which most states have); parents only have to submit a written note.”

Still, Wisconsin has yet to see a measles outbreak this year. As we consider how to report on this issue, let us know what you think. 

Do you have questions about measles, its vaccine or how to keep your family safe? Or do you have perspectives to share about prevention efforts in your community? 

If so, fill out this brief form. Your submissions will shape the direction of our reporting and will not be shared publicly. 

Help Wisconsin Watch report on measles prevention is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.