‘Wisconsin Media Row’ delivered local, affordable RNC coverage

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The recently wrapped Republican National Convention in Milwaukee rolled out the red carpet (literally!) for local Wisconsin media outlets — the first arrangement of its kind at a national political convention.

And by most accounts, “Wisconsin Media Row” was a success.

Over the four-day nominating event, delegates and elected officials — most of them from Wisconsin — made their way to the western concourse of the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena where they found a bustling collection of the state’s newspaper, radio, TV and online journalists. 

Each of the 24 participating outlets paid $125, and the RNC provided wifi, electricity, tables, chairs and signage. The RNC designed a “Wisconsin Media Row” logo featured prominently on the arena marquee and directed delegates and surrogates to the space. Navy blue pipe-and-curtain dividers emblazoned with the RNC 2024 logo, a central suite of comfy couches, and the splash of red carpeting really tied the space together.

U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, who represents conservative parts of central and eastern Wisconsin, said it was “a cool sort of thing” that he could do an interview with Milwaukee’s 101.7 The Truth, a station with which he had never interacted before.

“It’s a smart idea,” Grothman said of a local media area at the convention. “For cost reasons, in part, the little radio station, the little newspaper gets left behind, and there’s no reason that should be so.”

He encouraged both the Republican and Democratic national parties to make similar accommodations at future events.

“It’s important for us to promote the little media, right?” Grothman said. “We don’t want everybody just listening to Fox or MSNBC and that sort of thing. It’s important to support your small media outlets, and that’s one way to do it.”

National political conventions are challenging for small local outlets to cover. They draw some 50,000 people, including thousands of reporters from all over the world. Larger organizations like CNN, NPR, CBS News and The New York Times can shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars to set up broadcast booths and mini-newsrooms within the security perimeter.

That’s why Wisconsin Watch worked with local media organizations and the RNC to create a first-of-its-kind space at a national political convention.

Members of the Wisconsin media consortium praised the local reporter accommodations.

“Wisconsin Media Row gave local reporters a sense of place amidst a wild week when many factors felt up in the air,” said Erin McGroarty, politics and government reporter for the Madison-based Cap Times. “The presence of a dedicated space for local press organizations allowed Wisconsin news groups to work together, bounce ideas off of each other and feel a sense of camaraderie as we worked to give our state critical coverage of a historical event.”

John Laughrin, news director for WFRV-TV in Green Bay, appreciated the practical aspects of having a place to store extra gear and equipment, plenty of power strips to support everyone working on laptops and reliable internet.

Wisconsin State Journal state government reporter Mitchell Schmidt said his team used Wisconsin Media Row primarily as a space to file stories, discuss the day’s plans, catch delegates and lawmakers as they came through for sit-down interviews or quick press gaggles, and simply recuperate.

After doing a round of interviews with several of the participating outlets, including the State Journal, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Urban Milwaukee, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson credited the generosity of the donors to the RNC Host Committee, which raised $85 million for the entire convention.

“Those things cost money, so somebody’s got to pay,” Johnson said of Wisconsin Media Row.

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, attending his 12th RNC, endorsed creating a local media area at future conventions, calling it “a no-brainer.”

“You guys convey the message,” Thompson said. “And if you don’t convey the message, you don’t get your message out, you don’t win. It’s just utterly stupid if you don’t do it. I think it’s fantastic.”

Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters for original stories and our Friday news roundup.