Veteran Capitol reporters break down what happened, what it means and why it matters

Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) and PBS Wisconsin today announced the launch of Inside Wisconsin Politics. The new weekly political roundtable features WPR Capitol Bureau Chief Shawn Johnson, PBS Wisconsin Senior Political Reporter Zac Schultz, and WPR reporters Rich Kremer and Anya van Wagtendonk. Together, the four journalists bring decades of experience covering Wisconsin government, policy and elections. Their weekly 15–20 minute conversation will cut through the noise of Wisconsin politics — explaining what happened, what it means and why it matters for communities across the state.

Inside Wisconsin Politics will air each Friday during WPR’s Wisconsin Today beginning March 20.  Episodes are also available anytime at wpr.org/IWP, where audiences can watch or listen on demand, or through pbswisconsin.org/IWP, YouTube, the WPR app and wherever podcasts are available. Edited segments will also appear occasionally on PBS Wisconsin’s weekly news program, Here & Now.

The weekly conversation will help make sense of the policy debates and political decisions that affect everything from school funding and health care to taxes and environmental policy across Wisconsin. But unlike national political coverage that often focuses on Washington, Inside Wisconsin Politics will center on the debates, policies and decisions shaping Wisconsin.

“There's so much happening at the Capitol each week that affects people and communities across the state,” Johnson said. “We spend a lot of time talking through these issues as colleagues, and we're excited to bring some of those conversations out of the newsroom and share them with our audience.”

The roundtable format allows the reporters to discuss how political decisions unfold — and why they matter beyond the day’s headlines.

“Every story we report from the Capitol contains the facts you need to know,” said Schultz. “But often there isn’t room for the context and history that lead up to that moment. Our goal with this conversation is to help people understand not just what happened, but why it happened.”

Inside Wisconsin Politics brings together experienced Capitol reporters from PBS Wisconsin and WPR to help audiences better understand the political decisions shaping communities across the state. The newsrooms combine local insight with statewide reach explaining how decisions made in Madison affect people throughout Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin are services of UW-Madison’s Wisconsin Public Media division and the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. Together, they serve communities statewide through trusted journalism, educational programming, and Wisconsin storytelling – on air, online, and in person through live events, freely accessible to all, and powered by community support. wpr.org pbswisconsin.org

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