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I am at the AAN Publishers conference this week in Palm Springs, California. It’s the same conference Isthmus hosted last year in Madison, only it’s a touch hotter here, getting up to about 110 degrees midday. But hey, it’s a dry heat!
People on both the editorial and business sides of alternative local news outlets attend the conference — some attendees, like me, straddle both worlds. There are workshops on AI, audience engagement, government support for journalism, and “social-first reporting,” which prioritizes content creation on social media platforms. UW professor Tomas Dodds, who is helping guide Isthmus’ process for creating an AI policy, is a presenter. And former Isthmus creative director Ellen Meany, who is now executive director of Alternative Newsweekly Foundation, which provides fiscal sponsorships to publications, did a wonderful interview with Jessica Yellin, the founder of News Not Noise, a social media news service on Instagram and Substack
The winners of the AAN Publishers’ national contest were also announced; Isthmus notched five finalist wins, placing first for best illustration (Kyle Olson for his curling cover in December 2025, above), while Megan Stout (Hippie Christmas) and Courtney Dicmas (Pet Yoga) were also finalists. I won second place for best newsletter (Isthmus Insider) and got honorable mention for best column (From the editor).
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In content: Steven Walters writes about the appeal of gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong to the state’s progressive voters, while staff writer Chali Pittman reports on candidates who are vying to take over Hong’s seat in the state Assembly.
Chali also reports on the petition filed in Dane County Court by former village of Shorewood Hills president John Imes, who is challenging the decision by village trustees to remove him from office.
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In advance of Graham Nash’s July 20 performance at the Orpheum, Joshua Miller interviews the legendary singer-songwriter who is just shy of his 85th birthday. Joshua writes that Nash will sing his classics with Crosby, Stills & Nash (“Teach Your Children”) as well as songs from his solo career.
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Rebecca Jamieson reviews an adaptation of Uncle Vayna at American Players Theatre, writing that it “provides a fresh mirror for modern audiences, while staying true to the spirit of Chekhov’s original.” Katie Reiser reviews APT’s Casey and Diana, above, which imagines the week before a 1991 visit of Princess Diana to a hospice dedicated to the care of men dying from HIV/AIDS. In an apparent first, Thomas, who is played by La Shawn Banks, is the first main character in an APT production who is definitively gay.
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And Josh Heath writes about the growth of Amalgam Improv, above, the city’s newest improvisational comedy company.
Correction: In last week's newsletter, while referencing Chali’s profile of Madison Police Chief John Patterson, I unnecessarily aged him about 10 years — he’s been on the force for nearly 30 years, not 40 years as I wrote. I apologize for the error.
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