People and video cameras are seen in silhouette with the Wisconsin Capitol dome visible through a window.
Local journalists record video as Gov. Tony Evers holds a press conference at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin offices, July 29, 2024, in Madison, Wis. (Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)
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Words matter in journalism, but so do images. 

Visual journalism allows people to see themselves and their neighbors in our work. Strong visuals can also elicit feelings and help folks feel connected to communities outside of their own, while making our work more digestible and shareable.  

Wisconsin Watch has long valued visuals, as exemplified by the quality photos and illustrations accompanying our major investigations. But as a small newsroom with a small budget, our visual journalism long depended on one dedicated, multitasking staff member, interns and freelancers.

That’s changing as we grow.

If you closely follow our recent work, you’ll see Joe Timmerman named in many photo credits. He joined Wisconsin Watch in July as our first full-time staff photojournalist, a position supported and partially funded by Report for America. Joe has already added hundreds of miles to the odometer of his van — the aptly named Timmervan — while documenting presidential visits and connecting with residents statewide. 

Joe is benefiting from the guidance of former Wisconsin Watch associate director Coburn Dukehart, who has more than 20 years of experience as a visual journalist and strategist – and who now partners with us in a new capacity.

Coburn started this year as managing editor for the CatchLight Local Visual Desk. She is now editing and guiding Wisconsin Watch’s visual journalism through CatchLight, which partners with local newsrooms across the country to increase their capacity to produce engaging visuals.

The nonprofit CatchLight launched its visual desk in 2019 in response to increasing visual news deserts and newsroom staffing cuts nationwide, particularly among visual journalists. It offers newsrooms dedicated editorial support and training to integrate visual-first practices for higher engagement and audience building. It also subsidizes and places full-time visual journalists in local newsrooms through its fellowship program, which it recently announced would open to up to 20 more newsrooms, in partnership with RFA. 

We’re thrilled that our partnerships with CatchLight and Report for America have brought Coburn’s expertise back to Wisconsin Watch and allowed us to hire Joe. Expect big things from them in the coming months. 

Aside from bringing to life our written journalism with vivid photos, Joe is embarking on self-driven photo and video essays, taking a visuals-first approach to certain stories that demand to be told in such a way, including a portrait project that aims to introduce and connect residents statewide.

You might see Joe in your town ahead of the November election as he photographs voters and documents their perspectives. Please say hello, and if you’d like to be a part of his project, we’d love to hear from you.

Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters for original stories and our Friday news roundup.

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Jim Malewitz joined Wisconsin Watch in 2019 as investigations editor. His role includes editing, managing fellows and interns, facilitating cross-newsroom collaborations and investigative reporting. Jim has worked almost exclusively in nonprofit, public affairs journalism. He most recently reported on the environment for Bridge Magazine in his home state of Michigan, following four years as an energy and investigative reporter for the Texas Tribune. Jim previously covered energy and the environment for Stateline, a nonprofit news service in Washington, D.C. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, POLITICO Magazine and newspapers across the country. Jim majored in political science at Grinnell College in Iowa and holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Iowa. There, he was a founding staff member of the nonprofit Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism, where he serves on the board of directors.