Newspapers/Magazines in Madison... (Milwaukee: for sale, houses, transfer)

[bostonguy1960]

Is Madison one of the cities now suspending their print editions for their daily newspaper a few days weekly?

I recall (erroneously, I hope) last year that perhaps it's Madison as the latest to put their daily online only for select days? And why is your Sunday paper named differently from the daily?

What's another Wisconsin area within 50 or so miles with a paper available at most local convenience stores?

Also, what's the alternative weekly entertainment paper? Is it free?

Is there a gay newspaper, or only for Milwaukee?

I know of Midwest Living, but is there a city or state magazine?

Are the Chicago Tribune or NY Times easily available at stores? I doublt the Tribune would be, but you must get the national NYT edition?

Finally, any neighborhood newspapers available at bakeries, coffeehouses or Whole Foods?

Whew! Sorry about all the questions, but it's important to me.

Thanks from Beantown (no, we really never call it that, just the media).

[7G9C4J2]

I can give you answers to at least some of your questions, if not all.

For many decades, Madison was a two-newspaper city, which is rather astonishing considering its size. The Wisconsin State Journal was the larger and more conservative morning daily, and the Capitol Times was the smaller, liberal afternoon paper, published Monday through Saturday. They were both owned by the same company and operated out of the same facility.

About a year and a half ago, the Cap Times was demoted to an online version, with a tiny paper insert in the Journal twice a week. Updates to the online version became more and more sporadic, journalists were either laid off or forced into retirement, and at this point the Cap Times exists in name only. The Journal, meanwhile, which is still published daily, transformed from a reasonably well-written if conservative paper into a tabloid-style rag that is long on fluff, trivia and advertisements and woefully short on anything resembling real news. They just went to a dreadful, glitzy, appallingly news-free website, here: Madison.com and I have given up even attempting to find any local news there.

The other major Wisconsin newspaper that is widely available in Madison is the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. While Milwaukee is a bit farther than 50 miles from Madison, that's the only other paper from within the state of Wisconsin that I see with any frequency at Madison convenience stores or other retailers.

The Isthmus (Madison, Wisconsin's source for events, news, movies, music, restaurants and more: Isthmus|The Daily Page) is an excellent free weekly newspaper that covers arts, politics and the minutiae of city life. Its editor and journalists tend to take a decidedly liberal stance on most issues. It can be picked up for free at dozens and dozens of sites around the city.

Madison Magazine is a local monthly publication that focuses on all that is wonderful in the city. While I love living here, I can still see the city's less-than-ideal aspects, and I find MM's perspective to be Pollyannaish in the extreme. Their website can be found here: Madison, WI - Shopping, Arts, Dining, Events, Business, Best Of.

I have seen both the Chicago Tribune and the Wall Street Journal for sale at bookstores. The city's only true news-stand ceased operations several years ago.

And there are indeed some local neighborhood or specific interest newspapers that may be picked up for free at coffeehouses and restaurants around town. I am unfortunately not able to recall names and details, but I've seen a number of them in various places around town.

Not perhaps all the answers you seek, but I hope that gives you a start.

[LML]

One of the things I miss the most about Madison is the Isthmus. I read it online but it's just not the same.

[gold*dust1]

with the opine that the WI State Journal has become a tabloid rag piece of fluff. Take their July 25th edition for example where they featured a story titled: Madison lakes: It's a shame they're so dirty. Just yesterday they featured a story on one subdivisions unhappiness with a waste management co's proposal to build a transfer point behind them.

They have a great feature titled "SOS", where citizens can complain about real neighborhood issues affecting them and the Journal goes to work on finding a solution to end their frustration. I feel they still do plenty of real reporting, although it doesn't seem as good as it used to be. I have always enjoyed their series stories as well.

I've never placed much significance on thinking the Cap Times was a more "liberal" paper. They always seemed fairly similar to me.

I do think the WI State Journal has taken a hit from the poor economic conditions like many others and may continue to go further down hill. They are printing on cheaper paper, they 86'd their weekly tv guide listing, which has been found in newspapers since I was old enough to read and is reason enough to cancel when we come up for renewal.