WisconsinEye: The CSPAN of Wisconsin

Hours spent waiting to hear about one issue in the Senate, committee meetings until late hours of the night, trying to be at both the Assembly and the Senate at the same time-- before the development of Wisconsin Eye, these factors were not uncommon for the interested public and governmental lobbyists.  There are volumes of knowledge that can be obtained through Wisconsin’s governmental procedures, but without a possibility of viewing such knowledge, many are left in the dark.  WisconsinEye sheds light to this once-darkened tunnel.

WisconsinEye is a “technological gathering place where all can watch, listen, learn, and participate in our democratic society and our future” (WisconsinEye).  The organization seeks to provide access to governmental occurrences within the state and is an online CSPAN dedicated only to Wisconsin.  Since many forums are broadcast by various media sources at different times, many Wisconsinites are left in a cloud of dust; the site, however, plays a large role in connecting Wisconsin forums, thus educating Wisconsin.

WisconsinEye seeks to involve a diverse audience, with the general public being a large beneficiary of its services.  It is the organization’s goal to dissolve the public mystery of what is going on in the Capitol and invigorate interest so people know how decisions from policy makers play a role in every citizen’s life.  WisconsinEye, with discrete video cameras placed throughout the Capitol, allows individuals to view streaming coverage of both the Assembly and Senate “gavel to gavel in its entirety” according to Chris Long, President and CEO of WisconsinEye.  In this sense, WisconsinEye has a similar audience demographic to CSPAN.  In fact, WisconsinEye covers similar footage to that of CSPAN, but focuses exclusively on Wisconsin. 

The reaction to the network’s coverage has been overwhelming. The public, policy makers, and lobbyists have noticed the work of WisconsinEye.  Since its launch on May 16, 2007, over 60,000 people have visited the WisconsinEye website to stream video.  WisconsinEye itself has streamed over 2.6 gigabytes of live video. 

The public has generally received WisconsinEye very well.  The organization has received numerous emails from the public thanking it for its coverage and requesting DVD purchases.  In terms of the state, WisconsinEye has been praised for its quality and professionalism.  Many policy makers have expressed their appreciation for the awareness WisconsinEye brings to voters, who are ultimately educated and able to make informed decisions.  Lobbyists have also noted how convenient WisconsinEye is.  Prior to WisconsinEye, lobbyists had to be at the Capitol in case anything happened.  Now, lobbyists are able to monitor happenings from their offices or even their homes.  WisconsinEye also enables lobbyists to view archived sessions in case anything was missed, or if there were numerous events occurring at the same time.  According to Debra Sybell, WEAC Legislative Program Coordinator, WisconsinEye has “changed the way people lobby.” 

Since its inception, WisconsinEye has brought about several changes within the legislative conversation.  At each legislative meeting, it is announced that WisconsinEye will be recording.  Although each policy maker’s conduct is affected differently by WisconsinEye’s presence, Chris Long notes that this conscious awareness influences meetings in a positive way.  Using the controversial budget meeting, he explained that “both sides were a little more conscious that floor debate needed to be a little clearer and crisper so the general public would understand what they were saying.” 

Increasing civic education is another goal of WisconsinEye.  Because there are so many meetings and hearings within the legislature, the organization has promised the state that at least one meeting of each Legislative committee will be broadcast per biennium. This stipulation allows for equal time between each branch without favoring one over the other.  Through this formulated balance, WisconsinEye seeks to focus not only on the happenings within the Capitol, but also on how public affairs and civic life tie into these happenings.  While WisconsinEye’s core coverage revolves around the happenings within the Capitol, the network also seeks to produce a variety of other public policy related programs; as Chris Long stated “every day our professional videographers are in communities across the state covering the daily fabric of our state's public life.”

WisconsinEye is unique in that it is contracted by the state, yet is editorially independent, receiving no state funding.  Instead, WisconsinEye is funded through private donations, which gives the network freedom to “provide unbiased, nonpartisan coverage of Wisconsin state government and serve as an open, independent forum for public policy debate” (Chris Long).

WisconsinEye is excited to have recently celebrated its one-year anniversary.  To view daily streaming video visit http://www.wiseye.org or tune into Time Warner Cable channel 163 or Charter Cable channel 200.

Please click here to see a video tour of WisconsinEye. Problems with video? Please click here for help.