Erik Gunn

Isthmus: Meet the new Tommy Thompson

2012-02-17T07:47:00.008-06:00

Meet the new Tommy Thompson,
February 17, 2012.

Always a conservative, the four-term Republican governor and former Bush administration cabinet secretary is running for senator in a political environment in which his brand of conservatism is suspect. Derided from the right as too moderate — and too "big-government" — Thompson is burnishing his credentials by, in some cases, backing away from positions that once helped him amass huge majorities at the polls and work effectively with a Legislature often controlled by Democrats.

Cameo appearance: Breaking Their Will

2011-12-21T16:16:00.009-06:00

Breaking Their Will, a book by Janet Heimlich that was published earlier this year, includes some passages describing the story of Madeline Kara Neumann, who died in 2008 when her parents relied on prayer instead of calling a doctor. The book quotes from the story I wrote for Isthmus about the case.

Milwaukee Magazine: The Incredible Shrinking Middle Class

2011-10-28T14:15:00.003-05:00

The Incredible Shrinking Middle Class, November 2011.

Wealth and income are more unequal than they have been in generations. Both private sector and public workers are scared. Can anything save them?

Milwaukee Magazine: Laurie's Last Days

2011-06-15T10:07:00.004-05:00

Laurie's Last Days, July 2011

She lived a tabloid life as a convicted murderer and femme fatale. But the real Laurie Bembenek was a quiet, thoughtful woman who yearned for love – and for justice.

Milwaukee Press Club: Best Beat Coverage for 2010

2011-03-28T11:40:00.005-05:00

Pressroom, my monthly column in Milwaukee Magazine, has been recognized for Best Beat Coverage in 2010 in the Milwaukee Press Club's Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism contest -- Newspaper/Magazine/Online Media division. My thanks to Milwaukee Magazine editor Bruce Murphy and to assistant editor Cristina Daglas, who edits my weekly online column PressroomBuzz.

Milwaukee Magazine: The Money Tree

2010-12-27T20:51:00.005-06:00

The Money Tree, January 2011

Their efforts have been barely noticed, but a whole cadre of entrepreneurs, investors and others are helping to build a new economy for Milwaukee.

AARP Bulletin: Health Plan of Last Resort

2010-09-02T15:40:00.005-05:00

Wisconsin
Health Plan of Last Resort
September 2010

On July 1, help arrived for thousands of uninsured Wisconsin residents: BadgerCare Plus Basic. It is a self-funded, stripped-down health plan for state residents with no other alternatives.

Milwaukee Magazine: ChooChoo Crazy

2010-06-22T11:27:00.004-05:00

ChooChoo Crazy,
July 2010

Model railroading wasn’t invented in Milwaukee, but it’s as much a part of this city’s fabric as beer, brats, motorcycles and machine tools.

Oldie but Goodie: Pressroom: Mr. Smooth

2010-05-22T11:46:00.005-05:00

Matt Johnson oversaw the heady rise and messy collapse of Strive Media Institute, with an uncritical press cheering him on.

December 2008

At this writing (May 2010) I've been covering the media for Milwaukee Magazine for not quite four years. This article remains one of the best I've done, in my opinion.

Isthmus: A better Way for Wisconsin?

2010-03-05T18:31:00.009-06:00

A better Way for Wisconsin? March 4, 2010
Coalition unites powerful competing groups to break through partisan gridlock.

AARP Bulletin: A Shortcut to Smoother Office Visits

2010-03-02T09:24:00.008-06:00

March 2010

Wisconsin
A Shortcut to Smoother Office Visits With Your Physician
‘Ask Me 3’ Helps Patients Communicate with Their Doctors

[No longer on line]

Oldie but Goodie: Isthmus: Corporations Rule

2010-01-25T13:25:00.002-06:00

I wrote this story six years ago, but thanks to recent developments, it's highly relevant again.

Corporations Rule

They’re everywhere.

Their logos dot public spaces. They control the workplace and the marketplace. They saturate the culture. They permeate the political system. Large business corporations have become at once omnipresent and virtually invisible. Their power is so sweeping that they have taken on an air of inevitability.

But an increasingly vocal and organized collection of critics is taking aim, not just at individual errant corporations, but at the entire corporate model of organizing business and, more important, its influence on society as a whole....

June 2004

Oldie but goodie: "Booked: Business tomes fill store shelves..."

2010-01-23T18:12:00.006-06:00

(Update, 3/15/11: This story is no longer online at "findarticles.com," where I previously found it and linked to it. I hope to obtain and post the full story at some point in the future.)

A story I wrote for the old Milwaukee Journal in the last months of its existence.

They leap off the bookstore shelves: "Reengineering the Corporation," "Reengineering Management" and "Reengineering Yourself" not to mention "The Reengineering Alternative."

There's "The One-Minute Manager," "Fourth Generation Management," "The Fifth Discipline" and "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People."

"Built to Last" and "Toppling the Pyramids." "The Flight of the Buffalo" and "When Giants Learn to Dance." "Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun" and "Jesus CEO."

More than a decade after Tom Peters published "In Search of Excellence," business books are hot. "Hotter than sex, hotter than anything!" gushes editor Harriet Rubin at Doubleday in New York....

February 12, 1995

Does Paul Ryan want to be President?

2010-01-11T08:44:00.005-06:00

He says no, but Ryan is making plans to raise money in New Hampshire.

Read my profile of him from 2005. And read about his deal to write regular columns for the Racine Journal Times web site.

Isthmus: When Is Praying Not Enough?

2010-01-07T13:58:00.009-06:00

When is praying not enough? January 7, 2010
Dueling bills seek to clarify duties of parents toward ailing kids.

Pressroom: Favorite Son

2010-01-07T13:30:00.005-06:00

Favorite Son, January 2010
The Racine Journal Times runs a regular online column by Republican U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan with no rebuttal from Democrats – or comments from readers.

Milwaukee Magazine: Heavy Hitter

2010-01-07T13:28:00.012-06:00

Heavy Hitter, January 2010
Chancellor Carlos Santiago has big plans for UWM and major clout with business leaders and politicians. But some faculty object to all the changes.

Pressroom: Collected Work

2010-01-07T13:19:00.016-06:00

I began writing the Pressroom column with the November 2006 issue of Milwaukee Magazine.

[UPDATE] The links below are now dead. I will eventually update them when I have the opportunity.

A partial list of columns I wrote through the end of 2009 appears below, with links to the individual articles:

Family Feud, December 2009
TMJ radio talker Phil Cianciola thought he was the most important person on Jonathan Green’s show. Whoops, wrong call.

Flood Insurance, November 2009
Media observers predict the financially battered Journal Sentinel could merge with the company's TV and radio stations.

Stage Fright, October 2009
Arts groups fear the Journal Sentinel’s downsized entertainment staff will mean far less coverage – and fewer ticket sales.

Please Cover Us! August 2009
As the Journal Sentinel guts its staff of suburban reporters, local officials beg for media attention.

Sudden Death, July 2009
Will the departure of Eric Von – along with two other WMCS staffers – reduce the impact of black radio?

Web War I, May 2009
Three online entertainment publications are battling in Milwaukee. Who will win?

News for Elites? April 2009
WisconsinEye is on the rise. And Waukesha’s The Freeman is falling fast.

The Crusaders, March 2009
Has the Journal Sentinel gone overboard with long enterprise series? Will readers embrace this radically different approach?

Riches to Rags, February 2009
The plummeting value of Journal stock has ruined the retirement dreams of many journalists.

The Hole Story, January 2009
Newspapers are threatening to stop using syndicated Associated Press stories. That could mean fewer jobs – and less content for readers. by Erik Gunn

Mr. Smooth, December 2008
Matt Johnson oversaw the heady rise and messy collapse of Strive Media Institute, with an uncritical press cheering him on.

The Last Laugh, November 2008
Why did the Journal Sentinel dump editorial cartoonist Stuart Carlson?

Gloom and Doom, October 2008
Classified ads are disappearing, the Journal Sentinel is laying off more staff, and the Internet is killing newspapers. What does the future hold?

MKE: R.I.P, September 2008
Once seen as a way to capture young readers, the Journal Sentinel kills its weekly culture and entertainment magazine. Insiders say it was starved to death.

Hot Air, August 2008
TMJ4 has turned up the heat on public employee compensation. But did the reporting live up to the hype?

Masters of Fluff, July 2008
Soft fare for high-income households made money for Exclusively Yours and M Magazine. But both have hit a wall.

Multiplicity, May 2008
Kevin Fischer is everywhere as a media pundit. He’s also a partisan legislative aide. Can you say conflict?

Taking Care of Business, April 2008

Hey Cheesecake Breath! March 2008

Double Exposure, February 2008

Newsroom Surgery, January 2008

Under My Thumb, December 2007

The People's Choice, November 2007

A Study in Scandal, October 2007

Crashing the Party, August 2007

The Darrow Difference, July 2007

Team Play, May 2007

The Power of Talk, April 2007

Vanishing Act, March 2007

Male Delivery, February 2007

Suburban Shutdown, December 2006

Mistress of Spin, November 2006

Milwaukee Magazine: Recession Stories

2010-01-07T13:18:00.003-06:00

Recession Stories, July 2009
Thousands of Milwaukeeans are out of a job. Is there hope on the horizon, or do they face a kind of permanent recession?

Photo by Tom Bamberger

Milwaukee Magazine: Will Chicago Eat Racine?

2010-01-07T13:15:00.004-06:00

Will Chicago Eat Racine? November 2008
Kenosha is already a bedroom suburb of Chicago. Is Racine next? And will this hurt Milwaukee?

Photo by Peter DiAntoni

Milwaukee Magazine: Clean Machine

2010-01-07T13:14:00.004-06:00

Clean Machine, May 2008
Even critics say Sewerage District leaders have taken steps to clean up the water and its image. So why the big stink in the media? by Erik Gunn

Photo by David Bader

Milwaukee Magazine: Collected work through April 2008

2010-01-07T13:07:00.008-06:00

These are stories written for Milwaukee Magazine through April 2008.

Pressroom columns for the magazine are in a separate entry.

Best Places to Work, April 2008
These companies offer more than just a 9-to-5, and get hard work and loyalty from their employees in return.

The Happy Warrior, September 2007
How did a liberal, peacenik, nuclear-freezing Democrat get elected mayor in Republican Waukesha? And just how long will he stay smiling?

Last Man Standing, April 2007
Battered by union opposition and a divided board, MATC President Darnell Cole has one of the most contentious - and least understood - jobs in town.

American Bulldog, April 2006
He’s loved, he’s hated, he’s feared and he’s respected. Jim Sensenbrenner is one of the nation’s most pugnacious politicians, and he may get more done than anyone in Congress. But just where is his agenda taking us?

That Hair, Those Eyes, That Plan, July 2005
Can a Republican congressman as young and good-looking as Paul Ryan fix Social Security?

Isthmus: The Insider vs. the Upstart

2010-01-07T13:03:00.001-06:00

The insider vs. the upstart, March 12, 2009
The state superintendent's race is a classic political face-off: a seasoned professional with a mile-long résumé and a host of influential backers versus a relative neophyte with a fervent grassroots base.

Isthmus: Five Vie for State Superintendent

2010-01-07T13:01:00.000-06:00

Five vie for Wisconsin state superintendent, February 5, 2009
Two college professors -- one from the left, the other from the right. Two longtime education bureaucrats. And a parent activist with populist appeal. All are on the Feb. 17 primary ballot for Wisconsin superintendent of Public Instruction. The top two vote-getters will face off in April to succeed Elizabeth Burmaster, who's stepping down after eight years.

Isthmus: Madison Symphony musicians join AFM

2010-01-07T12:59:00.001-06:00

Madison Symphony Orchestra musicians vote to unionize with AFM,
February 3, 2009
Players in the Madison Symphony Orchestra voted 43 to 36 on Monday to affiliate with the American Federation of Musicians union, in the Local 166 chapter. The vote was supervised by the National Labor Relations Board, which will certify the results in a week if no objections are filed.