President Rothman:
Yesterday, members of the media were sent an email from Mark Pitsch, UW System Director of Media Relations, announcing that on September 19th the System intends to launch a news and information service called the “University of Wisconsin News Service.” I have included Mr. Pitsch’s email below for your review.
The purpose of this government-run and publicly funded “news service” seems to be providing completed media products (stories, video and audio) to be used without change by media sources across Wisconsin. Mr. Pitsch pitches the media with materials from the news service that will be prepared by “the talented writers, editors, photographers, and videographers” from all 13 campuses of the UW System.
I had my staff do some quick research and we discovered that there are currently at least 227 people working for the various public relations, communication and marketing offices at all 13 campuses and system administration. According to the salary database maintained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for UW System employees, the most current data available (2019-2020) shows these 227 people were paid at least $10.5 million annually.
Please keep in mind that this is not the complete number of positions with these type of duties, since individual academic departments, other administrative offices and athletic departments also have additional people on payroll for similar functions. Further, we don’t have detailed information yet on the operational costs of these public relations, communications or marketing offices on each campus and at system administration.
This legion of taxpayer supported public relations bureaucrats in the UW System already have the ability and access to issue press releases, share materials with media sources and promote story ideas. However, it would appear that the UW System, a state government agency, has decided it no longer trusts or desires to allow for the editorial control of independent media sources when reporting on the system. This is a very disturbing development considering that many of the independent media sources of this state have investigated and reported on numerous serious scandals and administrative mismanagement within the UW System. How could the public trust either the UW System or even some of the independent media sources in providing ethical, fair and balanced reporting after entering into an arrangement with a government-run news service?
Mr. Pitsch included the following troubling statement regarding the University of Wisconsin News Service in his introductory email to media sources:
“You’re free to use any story package without charge so long as you abide by the terms of use, available on the web page.”
Mr. Pitsch, a state government employee, implies that the taxpayer supported materials being delivered to willing users will be free, just so long as it is used by the terms the government sets for you. Such an arrangement would appear to be clear government control over how any supposed independent media source would exercise editorial control over the publication of the materials issued by the University of Wisconsin News Service. One might wonder if the UW System consulted with various European socialist governments in developing the terms of use in controlling independent media.
I strongly contend that it is inappropriate for the taxpayer funded UW System to engage as a news service with the goal of controlling the media coverage of this state government agency. It would be a serious lapse in judgement for you to permit this ill-advised news service to start operations on September 19, 2022. I am calling on you to act immediately and end this terrible idea.
In closing, I would note that ending this news service before it starts will still leave the UW System with its very beneficial partnership with Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television.
Sincerely,
———- Forwarded message ———
From: Mark Pitsch <mpitsch@uwsa.edu>
Date: Wed, Sep 14, 2022 at 12:49 PM
Subject: University of Wisconsin News Service
To: University Relations <universityrelations@uwsa.edu>
Editors, News Directors, Media Members:
You will receive an email each Monday with a link to the UW News Service web page. There you’ll find three fresh story packages, along with story packages from previous weeks, which can be easily downloaded and formatted for your use. You’re free to use any story package without charge so long as you abide by the terms of use, available on the web page. Each week one set of story packages will cycle off the web site as it is replaced by a new package. We anticipate the Wisconsin Newspaper Association and the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association will also provide its members access to the UW News Service.
We will seek to highlight stories that have universal appeal so that your audiences will find them interesting, relevant, and engaging no matter what campus is featured.
We look forward to providing you this free content for use on the web and in print. If you have any questions or need any special assistance with the content, please don’t hesitate to contact me, mpitsch@uwsa.edu. Thank you.
Mark
