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PBS Wisconsin provides comprehensive news coverage and innovative documentary investigations to deliver essential, trusted information on the issues that matter most to Wisconsin. We provide a forum for the lively, civil and meaningful exchange of ideas. Learn more about supporting designated gifts for journalism.
Members of the PBS Wisconsin News team recording at the Wisconsin State Capitol. (Source: PBS Wisconsin)
STATEWIDE ELECTION COVERAGE
Helping Wisconsinites navigate a year of heightened civic engagement
WPR Photojournalist Angela Major captures Madison residents voting in the April 2025 election. (Source: Wisconsin Public Radio)
In 2025, PBS Wisconsin and WPR News teams delivered trusted, nonpartisan journalism that gave audiences the clarity and context they needed to navigate Wisconsin's civic landscape.
Coverage spanned straightforward explanations of ballot questions, in-depth reporting on the spring 2025 election highlighted by the closely watched Wisconsin Supreme Court race, and comprehensive coverage of contests for Superintendent of Public Instruction and local offices across the state. Through timely analysis, thoughtful interviews with candidates and experts, and comprehensive results reporting, our journalists helped people make sense of complex issues, understand what was at stake for their communities and take part in civic life.
Wisconsin Vote
Wisconsin Vote lets Wisconsin residents look up every candidate on their local ballot by inputting their address, making it easy to stay informed about the races that matter most in their community.
NEW & EXPANDED COVERAGE
Dedicated reporting on Wisconsin's Indigenous communities
Journalist Erica Ayisi joined PBS Wisconsin in late 2024 as part of a partnership with ICT (formerly Indian Country Today), filling a critical gap in Indigenous news coverage across the state.
Her reporting centers the priorities of Native communities — from Indigenous language revitalization to federal policy impacts on tribal health and services — fostering accurate representation and increasing the visibility of Indigenous voices in statewide conversations.
Indigenous Affairs Reporter Erica Ayisi interviews Ho-Chunk President Jon Greendeer, pictured here, about University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Tribal Educational Promise for Wisconsin’s Native students. (Source: PBS Wisconsin)
Excellent, well-researched, unbiased, factual news.
— Audience Comment
RURAL REPORTING PROJECT
Addressing growing news deserts in Wisconsin
Here & Now reports on Wisconsin soybean farmers. (Source: PBS Wisconsin)
Many rural communities in Wisconsin face growing news deserts with limited or no local journalism. With support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting prior to its defunding, PBS Wisconsin and WPR launched a rural reporting initiative to address this challenge.
As we built out our team of journalists covering the rural beat, existing reporters expanded their coverage of rural issues, backed by our regional bureau network. Collaboration with Wisconsin Rural Partners and University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension brought reporters directly into community forums in Oconto, Richland, Rusk, and Dodge counties, ensuring that local voices framed the coverage. This foundational work is strengthening civic understanding and building a more responsive model for rural journalism in the future.
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