AAN News

Isthmus Wins Another Genesis Award

For the second year in a row, Madison-based Isthmus has received a Genesis Award from the Humane Society of the United States. (FULL STORY)
Isthmus  |  03-24-2011  3:49 pm  |  Press Releases

25 Years' Worth Of Investigations And Commentary

The praise has been effusive for Watchdog: 25 Years of Muckraking and Rabblerousing, a collection of investigations, commentary and personal essays by Isthmus news editor Bill Lueders. (FULL STORY)
Isthmus  |  11-23-2010  3:20 pm  |  Industry News  |  Comments (1)

Isthmus News Editor Wins National Award for Animal Issues Reporting

Isthmus news editor Bill Lueders has received a Genesis Award from the Humane Society of the United States for his reporting on animal issues. Lueders was honored for his reporting on animal research at the UW-Madison, including his story about a 5-year-old primate named ro4040 and his articles on decompression experiments involving sheep. "It was a great honor for me and for Isthmus," says Lueders, whose article on primate research was excerpted in the award booklet for the star-studded ceremony in Beverly Hills. (FULL STORY)
Isthmus Publishing Press Release  |  03-23-2010  8:44 am  |  Press Releases

Faced With 'Pretty Flat' Ad Revenue, Isthmus Considers Possible Layoffsnew

The Madison, Wis., alt-weekly is "looking at ways to reduce expenses like everybody has to," publisher Vince O'Hern tells the Capital Times. "Nothing is decided. It may involve some people taking leaves, and some people not being on staff anymore." News editor Bill Lueders says A&E editor Dean Robbins will take an unpaid six-month leave to tend to "personal projects and other work." Other than that, he says talk of any staff changes is premature. Isthmus employs 10 editorial staffers, and the total staff size is about three dozen, according to Lueders.
The Capital Times  |  07-09-2008  8:22 am  |  Industry News

Isthmus Editor Hits East Coast on Book Tour

University of Wisconsin Press Press Release  |  03-06-2007  11:00 am  |  Press Releases

Isthmus News Editor's Book Draws National Media Attentionnew

Bill Lueders' "Cry Rape," which details the sexual assault of a woman and her hellish ordeal navigating the Madison justice system, has been covered by more than 100 media outlets around the world, reports the Capital Times. The author and his subject also appeared last night on FOX News' "Hannity and Colmes" show. The woman's attorney tells the paper that he has also received a preliminary contact from a representative of Oprah Winfrey's production company. A second printing of "Cry Rape" is due in stores this week.
The Capital Times  |  12-13-2006  12:54 pm  |  Industry News

Madison Apologizes to Rape Victim Profiled in Lueders' Booknew

Isthmus News Editor Bill Lueders first chronicled Patty's ordeal in 1998, a year after the visually impaired woman was charged with falsely reporting a rape. Prosecutors eventually dropped the charges, and in 2001 a suspect was charged with her sexual assault. Now the Madison City Council has voted to make an official apology to Patty, to pay her $35,000 in reparations, and to review police department policy on dealing with victims of sexual assault. According to The Capital Times, the apology resolution was "inspired" by the recent publication of Lueders book, Cry Rape, an "engrossing tale" based on his original investigation of the case.
The Capital Times  |  12-04-2006  2:15 pm  |  Industry News

Isthmus News Editor Writes Book About 'Heart-Breaking' Case

When Isthmus News Editor Bill Lueders first wrote about "Patty," a visually impaired woman charged with falsely reporting a rape, he hoped his 4,400-word piece would influence the prosecution to change direction. That was in 1998, and Lueders was so confident Patty was telling the truth that he told the mayor he would quit his job if he was proved wrong. His article didn't have the effect he had hoped, but prosecutors did eventually drop the charges against Patty, and in 2001 a suspect was charged with sexually assaulting her. Lueders expanded his investigation into a book, Cry Rape, newly published by the University of Wisconsin Press. The Capital Times in Madison, Wis., says Lueders' "achievement is large -- the book is not a polemic, the tone is not angry, but the systemic fallibility Cry Rape reveals is frightening."
09-11-2006  2:42 pm  |  Industry News

Isthmus News Editor Is 'Rock Star of the J-World'

Isthmus News Editor Bill Lueders will join songwriter Peter Leidy in performing "a medley of songs about journalism" this Saturday at the Society of Professional Journalists'convention in Chicago. Lueders first combined his passions for writing and music when he and Leidy released "The Open Records Blues" for Sunshine Week in March. The duo promises to debut a new song this weekend that was written specifically for SPJ.
08-22-2006  10:37 am  |  Industry News

Isthmus News Editor Pens 'The Open Records Blues'

Bill Lueders (pictured) wrote the lyrics based on his own troubles with records requests, then convinced Wisconsin musician Peter Leidy to write music and record the song in time for Sunshine Week, a national observance of the public's right to information about its government. "It's a topic with contemporary resonance," says Lueders, who is also the president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council. Isthmus won two open records lawsuits against the Madison Police Department, in 1996 and 1998. "The Open Records Blues" can be downloaded here and is free for broadcast.
03-07-2006  11:25 am  |  Industry News

Isthmus News Editor Plays Pundit for Local News

Bill Lueders was one of two news commentators asked to predict Madison's news in 2006 by WISC-TV. He guessed it would be a good year for the city's mayor and Sen. Russ Feingold, but "a very rough year for Republicans in Wisconsin."
01-04-2006  2:54 pm  |  Industry News

Isthmus News Editor Communes With Satan?new

During a discussion of "the war on Christmas" on the Dec. 13 episode of Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor," host Bill O'Reilly suggested that "you expect those people to be communing with Satan up there in the Madison, Wisconsin media." A Madison-based Web site decided to investigate further, eliciting several tongue-in-cheek responses from local media and political officials -- including Bill Lueders, news editor for AAN member paper Isthmus. Lueders said, "Actually, I commune with Satan often, and consider him a pal. Not the scary Biblical Satan who eats babies and the like, but the kind of guy who is considered sinister by Bill O'Reilly and friends: You know, the kind who believes that government ought to be on the side of people in need, not people in greed; the kind who supports equality for woman and gay people; the kind who tries to be respectful of religious diversity and not trumpet the 'majority' religion. That Satan. Praise be with him."
Dane101.com  |  12-20-2005  2:54 pm  |  Industry News

Podcast