Madison Press Connection was a newspaper formed in Madison, Wisconsin in October 1977 by striking union employees from the two dominant daily newspapers, the Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times.[1] The Press Connection began as a weekly but became a daily early in 1978 in an effort to intensify pressure on management of Madison Newspapers, Inc. to make concessions to the union. The Press Connection was published through early January 1980[2] and is available on microfilm, along with 9 boxes of archival business records and photographs, from The State Historical Society of Wisconsin. The archival records document "the survival struggles of this unusual strike newspaper and the operation of this worker-managed cooperative".[3]
The Press Connection provided serious competition by scooping the larger papers on numerous stories, and by publishing controversial articles and cartoons. It evolved from a strike paper to one of the few cooperatively organized and owned daily newspapers ever to exist in the United States. The Press Connection's cooperative structure was credited as the reason for numerous journalistic risks that corporate media avoided, including the publication in 1979 of an article purporting to provide the "secrets" of building an H-bomb.[4]
Ron McCrea served as editor of the Press Connection.[5] The staff was initially made up entirely of striking employees of MNI, with the exception of cartoonist Pete Wagner, whose controversial work spurred his firing within two weeks of being hired, but who was rehired when the staff voted to keep him in spite of numerous cancellations by irate readers.[6][7] Wagner left the paper after ten months and was later replaced by Mike Konopacki, who specialized in labor-related cartoons.
External linksedit
Business records of The Madison Press Connection, 1977-1980
The Madison Press Connection on Microfilm, 1977-1980
Studs Terkel Audio Interview with Ron McCrea and George Vukelich, 1978
^"Press: The Madison Connection". Time. 1978-01-09. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
^"About Madison press connection. (Madison, Wis.) 1977–1980". Chronicling America – Library of Congress. 2008-08-04. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
^"Madison Press Connection records, 1977-1980". UW Madison Libraries. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
^Buhle, Paul (1997). "Lost Struggles of the 1970s: Dave Wagner and the Madison Press Connection". From the Knights of Labor to the New World Order: Essays on Labor and Culture. Taylor & Francis. pp. 222 ff. ISBN978-0-8153-2225-2.
^Eisen, Marc (2008-02-12). "Ron McCrea backs changes at 'The Capital Times'". Isthmus. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
madison, press, connection, newspaper, formed, madison, wisconsin, october, 1977, striking, union, employees, from, dominant, daily, newspapers, wisconsin, state, journal, capital, times, press, connection, began, weekly, became, daily, early, 1978, effort, in. Madison Press Connection was a newspaper formed in Madison Wisconsin in October 1977 by striking union employees from the two dominant daily newspapers the Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times 1 The Press Connection began as a weekly but became a daily early in 1978 in an effort to intensify pressure on management of Madison Newspapers Inc to make concessions to the union The Press Connection was published through early January 1980 2 and is available on microfilm along with 9 boxes of archival business records and photographs from The State Historical Society of Wisconsin The archival records document the survival struggles of this unusual strike newspaper and the operation of this worker managed cooperative 3 The Press Connection provided serious competition by scooping the larger papers on numerous stories and by publishing controversial articles and cartoons It evolved from a strike paper to one of the few cooperatively organized and owned daily newspapers ever to exist in the United States The Press Connection s cooperative structure was credited as the reason for numerous journalistic risks that corporate media avoided including the publication in 1979 of an article purporting to provide the secrets of building an H bomb 4 Ron McCrea served as editor of the Press Connection 5 The staff was initially made up entirely of striking employees of MNI with the exception of cartoonist Pete Wagner whose controversial work spurred his firing within two weeks of being hired but who was rehired when the staff voted to keep him in spite of numerous cancellations by irate readers 6 7 Wagner left the paper after ten months and was later replaced by Mike Konopacki who specialized in labor related cartoons External links editBusiness records of The Madison Press Connection 1977 1980 The Madison Press Connection on Microfilm 1977 1980 Studs Terkel Audio Interview with Ron McCrea and George Vukelich 1978See also editDetroit Sunday JournalReferences edit Press The Madison Connection Time 1978 01 09 ISSN 0040 781X Retrieved 2019 10 18 About Madison press connection Madison Wis 1977 1980 Chronicling America Library of Congress 2008 08 04 Retrieved 2019 10 18 Madison Press Connection records 1977 1980 UW Madison Libraries Retrieved April 9 2023 Buhle Paul 1997 Lost Struggles of the 1970s Dave Wagner and the Madison Press Connection From the Knights of Labor to the New World Order Essays on Labor and Culture Taylor amp Francis pp 222 ff ISBN 978 0 8153 2225 2 Eisen Marc 2008 02 12 Ron McCrea backs changes at The Capital Times Isthmus Retrieved 2019 10 18 Wagner Pete 1980 Buy this Book Me Publications p 212 ISBN 978 0 937706 00 8 Interview WORT FM Radio March 1978 full citation needed Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Madison Press Connection amp oldid 1149073960, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
