Center for Journalism Ethics

04/23/2026

  By Lalitha Viswanathan While journalists serve as storytellers in democracies, media lawyers serve as those journalists’ essential defenders. They enforce legal infrastructure, from fighting for public records to shielding the confidential sources that allow …

04/07/2026

In less than two weeks, we'll host the 2026 ceremony for the Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. 🏆

Come join us Monday, April 20 at 6:30 pm ET to honor this year's winners, to hear from special guest Jeffrey Goldberg (The Atlantic) in conversation with David Maraniss, and to honor the incredible legacy of the late Anthony Shadid.

More information and registration here: https://ethics.sjmc.wisc.edu/2026-shadid-award-ceremony/

03/06/2026

Today's the last day of ProPublica journalist Melissa Sanchez's residency with the Center for Journalism Ethics. She's pictured here with board member Natalie Yahr during our public event, "Immigration in Times of Crisis: Wisconsin and Beyond," on Tuesday night.

We cannot thank her enough for the energy and thoughtfulness she has poured into her visit!

Link to the livestream of "Immigration in Times of Crisis": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0GdNA1o3SY

03/05/2026

It's our great privilege to announce the winners of the 2026 Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics. Congratulations to the San Francisco Chronicle team of Joaquin Palomino and Cynthia Dizikes who investigated for-profit mental health hospitals in California.

Palomino and Dizikes spent more than a year pulling back the curtain on the rapid growth of for-profit psychiatric hospitals in California. The result is an explosive but sensitive account of the abuse and neglect inflicted upon patients and an exhaustive record of the state’s refusal to uphold its own laws or reckon with the facilities’ deplorable conditions.

Join us on April 20 in Washington, DC, for the 2026 award ceremony, which will feature special guest Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic, in conversation with David Maraniss.

More info: https://ethics.sjmc.wisc.edu/shadid-award/2026-shadid-award-finalists/

02/24/2026

Next week, we have the honor of welcoming ProPublica journalist Melissa Sanchez to campus as part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Sharon Dunwoody Journalist in Residence Program.

An immigration and labor reporter, Sanchez will meet with students and faculty and take part in a public talk moderated by Wisconsin Watch's Natalie Yahr.

"Reporting on Immigration in Times of Crisis: Wisconsin and Beyond" will take place on Tuesday, March 3, 6:30 pm in the Memorial Union Play Circle (and online).

More info/register here: https://lnkd.in/grDTGjVQ

02/23/2026

We’re delighted to announce five finalists for the 2026 Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics. These finalists distinguished themselves in a competitive and impressive field of nominations, telling stories with outstanding ethics, integrity and impact.

https://ethics.sjmc.wisc.edu/shadid-award/2026-shadid-award-finalists/

02/12/2026

Join us and the UWChicLa program in welcoming Melissa Sanchez, immigration reporter at ProPublica, for this free and public event at UW–Madison, "Reporting on Immigration in Times of Crisis: Wisconsin & Beyond."

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdXetYZ8jHyaSmnvekYvYfXdu3ILvVzOQ3OS51QwAOtfYv7Lg/viewform

01/06/2026

12/19/2025

Carol Toussaint, a founding board member for the UW Center for Journalism Ethics and an unparalleled force for good, died in November 2025. We are grateful to have been one of many organizations that Carol supported with her considerable energy, wisdom and resolve.

    Carol Toussaint, a founding board member for the UW Center for Journalism Ethics and an unparalleled force for good, died in November 2025. We are grateful to have been one of many organizations …

12/19/2025

Journalists, editors, ethics enthusiasts! We're open for your nominations for the 2026 Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics. Deadline is January 15, 2026. All the info here⬇️:

The Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison seeks nominations for the Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics. Now in its 17th year, the Shadid Award recognizes ethical decisions in reporting stories in any medium, including print, broadcast and digital, by journalists...

12/08/2025

Reporting on addiction?

Fellow Ella Hanley interviewed Maia Szalavitz, award-winning journalist and author of “Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction," on what journalists need to know about ethical and accurate addiction coverage.

By Ella Hanley Don’t rely on law enforcement as a primary source. That’s the first piece of advice Maia Szalavitz has for journalists reporting on drug addiction. “It shouldn’t be a crime issue in the …