Wisconsin Black Media Association

02/27/2026

Menthol ci******es are a hazard and hard to quit.

10/23/2022

Michelle Bryant dropping knowledge at a voting forum held Oct. 18 at the Clinton Rose Senior Center.

08/11/2022

The Madame Tussauds Museum in Las Vegas

10/27/2021

Join us on Tuesday, November 3rd for an evening of networking, conversation and fun.

07/20/2021

NBA Finals Highlights Disparities in News Coverage

Greetings Newsroom Decision Makers:

It has been 50 years since the Milwaukee Bucks have won an NBA championship, making this arguably the biggest sports moment in the history of the city of Milwaukee.

As the city braces for a potential win tonight, TV stations in Milwaukee and across Wisconsin will share in the excitement through their coverage of Game 6 of the NBA Finals. For this reason, we, at the Wisconsin Black Media Association (WBMA), believe it is important to not only focus on what is happening on the basketball court, but to bring attention to who is not in the picture, as far as coverage of tonight’s big game.

Based on our observations and knowledge, it is evident that local coverage of the NBA Finals has not consistently reflected the diversity of the team or the viewing market. This stems largely from the fact that African Americans and other journalists of color remain woefully underrepresented in sports broadcasting locally and nationally, and the NBA Finals only perpetuates the problem.
While all stations have had shortcomings when it comes to diversity, WISN 12 News’ coverage is significant because it is the station in Milwaukee carrying the NBA Finals.

For this reason, we at WBMA, believe that it is incumbent upon WISN 12 and other local news entities to hire and promote staff that reflect the community, so that stories being told are accurate and fair, in sports and all news coverage. This is vitally important in a majority-minority city such as Milwaukee, where 38% of its citizens are African American.

What’s more, 80% of Bucks players are Black, which begs the question: can you truly guarantee accuracy in coverage when 0 percent of your on-air talent on any given day is Black and a small percentage of decision makers in your newsroom reportedly are Black?

This historic moment in our city intersects with the shortcomings of our newsrooms and our city. The fact that such inequities in sports coverage are occurring during one of the biggest moments in sports history for Milwaukee and the nation, is unfortunate. Aside from sports, let’s not overlook the fact that this has been a perpetual problem in overall news coverage in Milwaukee.

We urge newsrooms around the city and state to see the importance of having diverse voices both in management and on-air to fully capture the nuances of covering a community, especially for moments that define that community.

WBMA is here to listen to management and to facilitate discussions about ways in which local news can better reflect the viewers that support them. We are also here to advocate for Black storytellers and to promote understanding as to why their perspectives matter.

Hopefully, the Milwaukee Bucks will not only walk away with a championship tonight, but let’s hope that this momentous time will lead to more inclusive and equitable coverage in our city and throughout Wisconsin, which would be a win for all.

Earl Arms
President
Wisconsin Black Media Association

03/29/2021

Join us on April 1st for an evening of music, conversation and fun.

03/18/2021

Greetings WBMA members and friends,

The escalating hostility, rhetoric, and violence against Asian Americans nationwide is troubling and unacceptable. We, at WBMA, stand in solidarity with our Asian sisters and brothers, calling for unity and peace, in denouncing the disturbing acts of racism, violence, and hatred that have rocked Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities across our nation.

We ask that WBMA members and newsrooms across Wisconsin exercise care and sensitivity in reporting on the growing anti-Asian sentiment and follow the guidelines of AAJA (Asian American Journalists Association). Guidelines on covering the Asian American community can be found on the AAJA website:

https://aaja.org/2020/11/30/covering-asia-and-asian-americans/

Many newsrooms and hardworking journalists here and nationwide have provided fair and comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus and its impact on communities of color and we applaud their efforts. However, we know that harmful rhetoric stigmatizing Asian Americans in association with the coronavirus persists, despite their best efforts. We, at WBMA, believe it is incumbent on our members and all journalists to individually and collectively work to provide accurate and respectful coverage of Asian American communities.

WBMA is ready and willing to be a resource to our members in telling the stories of those in our community who are deeply impacted by the recent tragic events that have unfolded in AAPI communities across our nation.

In Solidarity,

Earl Arms
President
Wisconsin Black Media Association
National Association of Black Journalists

Note: AAJA is in the process of updating this guidance. ALIEN: See ILLEGAL ALIEN. ALL-AMERICAN: Caution. Not a synonym for white

03/12/2021

Hey WBMA members don't forget to join us tomorrow at our monthly meeting, via Zoom Saturday, March 13th at 11am.

With it being Women's History Month we have a full slate of activities. You don't want to miss our distinguished list of professionals in journalism and finance that will speak, including the president of our national organization, the National Association of Black Journalists.

See you there😉

02/04/2021

Join the Wisconsin Black Media Association for a discussion you don’t want to miss! We have an esteemed list of community leaders lined up to drop knowledge and bless us with their words Saturday.

Email [email protected] for a Zoom link and/or to learn more about membership.

01/01/2021

As a new year comes in I say thanks to those who help keep Wisconsin Black Media Association afloat during these trying times.

WBMA became the support that some needed during these times of protest and coronavirus. With these events taking place at the same time our members were challenged mentally and physically themselves. They bravely and professionally stood up to the challenge as journalist to bring the community needed information.

As this administration’s terms ends, I would like to thank them and the members who stayed the course with WBMA. We now hand it over to a new crew to carry the organization up and on.

Happy New Year.

Liddie Collins-Siegrist
President
2019-2020

10/22/2020

Check out our new website at https://www.wbmamilw.org/