UpNorthNews is a locally based digital news source dedicated to exploring how the daily goings-on in places of power—especially Madison and Washington, DC—impact Wisconsin families and communities. Our people-centered, fact-based stories are delivered in a variety of ways, including graphics and video for social media, website articles, and newsletters delivered straight to your inbox.

The decline of access to quality local news has left much of Wisconsin without adequate sources of information about important issues in our state. UpNorthNews works to put more quality reporting into our state every day and to combat the misinformation that often fills news voids.

Beyond that, we’re also committed to building community with our readers: Throughout our pages here, our newsletters, and on our social media accounts, you’ll often find purposeful stories that lift up the shared experience of living in Wisconsin. 

That’s because our team also calls the Badger State home, filing content about people, places, history, arts, and issues from Beloit to Bayfield, Marinette to Madison, Wausau to Waukesha, and beyond.

We believe independent, fact-based, point-of-view journalism is key to informing Wisconsin; that’s why we place our values up front so that all readers can see the beliefs that shape our reporting and analysis. 

At UpNorthNews, we believe in:

• Centering our audience in all of our reporting: Our journalists are focused on lifting up what it’s like living, working, and raising families in Wisconsin. Because of that, many of our stories focus on efforts to strengthen communities, expand access to health care and child care, address the climate crisis, and reduce inequality in all forms—that’s what matters. We will publish our work where our audiences are, and when they move to new platforms or technologies, our brands and journalists will follow.
• A living wage for a hard day’s work: We have seen our economy change dramatically over the years—and not always to the benefit of its workers. Like many states, Wisconsin saw a post-war boom in manufacturing that accompanied its historically strong agricultural industries. Our state also boasts strong sectors in technology, health care, retail, and hospitality. But while farmers and workers have continually grown more productive, their buying power has been reduced as inequities increase between employees and global corporations. More families than ever require two or more jobs to make ends meet. We believe workers should be rewarded for their labor with good wages and benefits, not lied to or pitted against each other by politicians who don’t respect them.
• A quality education for all families: Wisconsin is part of the cradle of public education—home to the nation’s first kindergarten and the first community-supported school. Our constitution included the creation of a tuition-free public school system from its very beginning. We seek a return to the value that a respected and supported public school system provides immeasurable value to each child and each community—and should be free from political interference and  financial sabotage. We reject the misguided belief that schools only exist to cater to the whims of current employers—they give our state new generations of leaders, critical thinkers, compassionate parents, and productive taxpayers.
• A Badger State that’s representative of all citizens and not just a chosen few: We believe everyone’s experience matters here—that we are all Badgers no matter how we may be labeled when it comes to gender, race, religion, ideology, and so much more. We cannot deny the history or the current events that show how people in some groups are targeted and hurt by policy decisions simply for who they are. Our goal is to provide information to people in vulnerable communities, to their allies, and to all Badgers in order to understand what’s at stake and decide who has their best interests at heart.
• A strong democracy: Access to the ballot box is essential for Wisconsinites to have a say in how our state is run. A strong electorate is also an informed electorate, and one not divided by fear and lies. A free press is only possible through democracy, so we will not take a “both sides” approach to those whose words or deeds are hostile to free, fair elections or who threaten the daily norms that allow our government to operate efficiently and serve all of the people.

We know not everyone has the time to read long-form, in-depth articles about every topic, so we frequently break down our coverage into quick explainer pieces, infographics, engaging videos and more. And our articles are always free to read.

Launched in January 2020, UpNorthNews is dedicated to providing honest, relevant news for and about Wisconsin. We are proud of our commitment to the facts and our belief in our state and all it has to offer.

About Courier Newsroom

UpNorthNews is owned and operated by Courier Newsroom, a civic media company with 10 state-based newsrooms across the country. Our mission is to protect and strengthen our democracy through credible, fact-based journalism that seeks to create a more informed, engaged, and representative America.

We reach audiences who are not regularly engaging with civic information, and who are unlikely to subscribe to paywalled journalism. As part of that effort, we deliver much of our reporting on the social platforms our readers use most frequently.

Courier’s newsrooms practice independent, point-of-view journalism. Courier Newsroom is a public benefit corporation owned by Good Information Inc., and is supported by reader contributions, sponsors, philanthropic donations, and corporate underwriting. We maintain an editorial firewall between our newsrooms and underwriters, sponsors, and donors. We do not accept funding from any national or state political party, party committee, candidate, or campaign.

See Courier’s website for additional information about our national team and our funding model.