What matters is local reporting that finds better ways to solve problems
The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults. — Alexis de Tocqueville
Early in the 21st Century, summer heat brought waves of death to a certain group of vulnerable souls in our city. Their lonely exits drew scant attention.
Thankfully, reporter Meg Kissinger took note. She understood what can happen to people when illness strikes not lungs or liver, but the organ in charge of thoughts and emotions — and how little empathy or aid these people often received. Two people she loved deeply had lost their lives to illnesses that attacked their minds.
Meg investigated and uncovered a huge fault. Due to federal court decisions, in a 1970s case out of Milwaukee County, adults with even severe mental conditions could no longer be treated in institutions without their consent, unless law enforcement and courts determined they were an “imminent danger.” Didn’t matter if many were in no condition to understand what was in their best interest. Didn’t matter that imminent danger, from a police officer’s point of view, generally meant a person was already attacking someone with knife, bat or gun.
This court action prompted the release of people from mental health centers in cities across America. Many places had since found humane ways of providing housing for people who had been receiving institutional care. But not here, where those folks were largely left to fend for themselves.
Meg found hundreds of ill people living, and dying, in squalor, as money for their care was deposited directly into bank accounts of unscrupulous slum lords. As for the heat waves, medications for mental disorders can hinder body temperature regulation. When hot weather moved in, people taking these pills didn’t feel a normal need for relief from air conditioning or fans — if either was available. They died of heat stroke.
“Abandoning Our Mentally Ill,” our 2006 special report, didn’t stop at highlighting problems. Meg searched for solutions and found a model in Columbus, Ohio, which was spending less taxpayer money on an effective housing program than Milwaukee County was spending on its neglectful ways.
Her reporting prompted immediate action. Mayor Tom Barrett, a Democrat, and County Executive Scott Walker, a Republican, set aside political differences to work toward solutions. Mercy House, a Chicago nonprofit, read the stories and volunteered its services. Since then, five large, airconditioned apartment buildings have been constructed or refurbished, with onsite medical experts helping some of our most vulnerable neighbors manage their medications and getting them help when needed.
Today we search for best-practice solutions whenever possible. It’s built into the Journal Sentinel’s DNA — to report deeply on critical issues and search for better answers, whether it’s stopping invasive species from entering the Great Lakes or healing generational trauma in our workforce.
Meg followed up “Abandoning Our Mentally Ill” with “Chronic Crisis,” an investigation of treatment within the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex. This also sparked massive, bipartisan reforms.
After the reforms began a reader sent this note:
I had to get in touch with you regarding my sister’s recent visit at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex. She’s been chronically mentally ill for decades now, and has been to County more than two dozen times; police holds, etc. On our last visit there, at my insistence, I was met with a stern “No! I’m not going there. They are awful” from my sister. But she eventually agreed. I was stunned frankly; she stabilized after agreeing to take her meds … the staff was very responsive to her and our family. But what was most stunning was the aftercare … They fixed her up in an assisted living situation; called us on nights and weekends during her initial stay at County; and have followed her several weeks now post hospitalization. It’s just incredible! My sister is responding to this treatment. … Frankly our family owes this to you and the Journal. Things seem to have genuinely changed.
Newborn screenings investigation
“Deadly Delays,” our 2013 investigation into unnecessary lags in getting newborn screening test results, saved infant lives across the country. In addition to showing how babies were dying and suffering permanent disabilities because of outdated processes, our reporters showed how one state, Iowa, managed to get its test results back in time for life-saving early treatment of genetic disorders. Iowa’s performance put to shame the excuses Wisconsin and other states had for their poor results.
After “Deadly Delays,” a reader sent reporters Mark Johnson, John Fauber and Ellen Gabler this note:
For many years I was a practicing Neonatologist and Pediatrician in Milwaukee and realized the reluctance of hospitals to “express transport” the newborn blood tests to Madison for evaluation, and it seemed that no amount of suggestions or urging by the Pediatric Community here made any impact. What the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel articles have accomplished is remarkable … it has taken on a National impact. Thank you to you and all the other wonderful MJS Journalists who have taken a part in this spectacular achievement!
Local news challenges
Local news businesses have faced tremendous financial challenges in this century because of how new technologies have changed the way people shop and get their news. We’ve had to make difficult choices. We always start by asking: What can we offer of greatest value to the people of Wisconsin? What work matters most?
We have doubled down on investigative reporting that also looks for best practices.
As for political opinions? Our airwaves, coaxial cables and social networks are stuffed full of them, including numerous talk shows specifically designed to draw a niche market of likeminded Democrats or Republicans.
So we have changed the focus of pages we used to call Opinions and Crossroads. Instead of adding to today’s polarized, partisan noise, David Haynes and our Ideas Lab are searching for better ways. They’re looking for best practices that address key challenges facing our communities and state, with solid evidence to prove their success.
They are bringing these ideas home through community forums, where local leaders and concerned citizens can join the discussion of building better ways for Milwaukee and Wisconsin. You can get involved by joining The Ideas Lab group on Facebook, by coming to one of our events and by getting in touch with Dave. His email is david.haynes@jrn.com.
You showed again this week that in-depth reporting matters to the people of Wisconsin. Our coverage of the elections Tuesday and Wednesday alone drew 5 million page views to JSOnline from more than 1.2 million unique visitors.
If you would like to support our local reporting efforts but don’t yet subscribe, please join us today at jsonline.com/deal. Thank you to all our subscribers for sustaining local journalism that repairs faults and improves lives.
George Stanley is the editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and USA TODAY NETWORK Wisconsin. He can be reached via george.stanley@jrn.com and followed on Twitter @geostanley.