Civic Journalism: Six Case Studies
MADISON, WIS.
"We the People, Wisconsin"

• Two-step town hall meetings: First, participants meet for several hours to sort out, with a facilitator, issues and ideas. Then, they question politicians or public officials directly. In the weeks before a candidate debate, for instance, town hall meetings are often held around the state to distill issues and help frame questions.

• Creative approaches to public policy issues, such as conducting a "hearing" on property tax relief, where voters assumed the role of legislators and where officials, including the governor, appeared as "expert witnesses." Another exercise involved voters writing their own state budget.

• Forums that challenge traditional notions of the candidate-voter relationship. In "You Be the Judge," two candidates for the state Supreme Court argued their cases for election to voters who sat in the justices' seats.

A Strong Partnership

Formed around a core of three people who knew and trusted each other before the project began, the partnership itself is at the heart of "We the People's" success. From the beginning, the partners played to each other's strengths and trusted each other's instincts.

The three founding partners are:

The Wisconsin State Journal. One of the state's leading papers and the capital's morning daily, the State Journal anchors the print coverage, providing in-depth reporting on the issues, editorial support of events and spot news coverage. Associate Editor Tom Still is both linchpin and spark plug, stoking enthusiasm at the newspaper and representing the paper to the partnership. Still also facilitates many of the town hall meetings and work sessions.

Wisconsin Public Television. Also based in Madison, WPT reaches a network of eight stations and more than one million Wisconsin residents. Executive Producer Dave Iverson and a small group of WPT staffers produce the television component. Iverson also moderates the televised debates and forums, acting as a combination floor manager/director/moderator.

Wood Communications Group. This public relations firm specializes in strategic planning and market research. Company president James B. Wood, although a one-time Democratic candidate for governor, is credited with leaving partisan issues behind when planning "We the People" events. Wood's staff of experienced event planners provide the logistical support, fundraising, and organizational strength often lacking in projects managed by journalists. A skilled communicator, Wood also facilitates many of the events.

In 1994, two more news organizations became formal partners:

WISC-TV3: The CBS affiliate simulcasts some of the "We the People" events and airs others in an edited version. News Director Tom Bier has committed his newsroom to in-depth coverage of issues and spot news coverage. In a show of partnership, WISC featured Wisconsin Public Television's Iverson as an analyst on Election Night '94.

"We had no desire to be parasitic about it. We wanted some involvement from our people in this," Bier said. His goal over the next couple of years is to help his staff find ways to incorporate the project comfortably into the station's overall news mission.

Wisconsin Public Radio: The 11-station network reaches 134,000 people a week. Even before becoming a formal partner, WPR had simulcast "We the People" forums. In addition, WPR produces news reports and call-in shows before and after "We the People" events.

Current Affairs Director Joy Cardin credited the project with raising WPR's profile. "Every time there's a story about "We the People," we're mentioned," she said.