Sarah Harrison returns to update us on what the Waukesha School Board is up to.
The Administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes, Marjorie Miller, and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigative reporter, Raquel Rutledge, join us to talk about the March 28th event in Madison: PULITZER ON THE ROAD: How Local Journalism Helps You.
Guests: Marjorie Miller, Raquel Rutledge
Check out this episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Sarah Harrison returns to the show to update us on the shenanigans happening on the Waukesha School Board. This time, it’s about the libraries and the process by which books can just be removed – even when the library doesn’t even carry those books.
The School District of Waukesha Board of Education just approved a new policy for handling complaints about the library and educational materials. If anyone – whether a student, staff member, or citizen – has an issue with a book, they can file a complaint. Then they’ll meet with the principal or staff member to try and resolve it. If they can’t work it out, a committee will review the complaint and make a recommendation. The committee can suggest limiting access to the material, moving it to a different grade level, leaving it alone, or even removing it entirely. Finally, the superintendent will review everything and make a final decision.
We also touch on how the Wisconsin Assembly Republicans are giving the go-ahead to “conversion therapy,” a discredited method that aims to change the sexual orientation of LGBTQ individuals. They have refused to let health professionals prohibit conversion therapy as unprofessional conduct, which LGBTQ advocates, psychologists, and physicians have criticized as harmful and ineffective. Not only is the practice considered abusive, but it has also been shown to be ineffective.
Get ready, Madison! Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists are hitting the road, and their first stop is in your city. On March 28th, Raquel Rutledge from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Corey Johnson, formerly of the Tampa Bay Times, will share their stories of community-changing journalism. Johnson, along with two other reporters, won a Pulitzer for investigative reporting that uncovered a recycling plant that poisoned workers and a neighborhood. Rutledge was part of a team that was a finalist for the public service award for their reporting on deadly electrical fires in Milwaukee rental properties.
This event is the first of its kind, and the program aims to highlight how investigative journalism can bring attention to issues that threaten the health and safety of vulnerable community members. The event is free and open to the public, and attendees can ask questions during the public reception that follows the talk. Make sure to RSVP on their website. The event will include people who were impacted by the projects, and the journalists went to great lengths to ensure their data was accurate. This is a great opportunity to learn from two of the best investigative journalists out there!
We talk about the event with Marjorie Miller, the Administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes, and Raquel Rutledge, a public service investigative reporter with the Journal Sentinel – who has received the nation’s highest honors in journalism, including the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting.
RSVP for the free event in Madison on March 28th: “Pulitzer on the Road”
