By Shayna Mace | Photo by Hillary Schave
For two and a half years, Lisa Pugh has hosted WisconsinEye Public Affairs Network’s weekly “Newsmakers” show. WisconsinEye’s studios are a mere block from the state Capitol building — a fitting tribute to a show that focuses on today’s pressing political and social issues. Pugh has interviewed politicians, policy experts and members of the media on a wide range of topics, from abortion rights to solar energy to election integrity.
Pugh graduated with a broadcast journalism degree from UW-Oshkosh and cut her teeth as a radio and TV reporter in the Fox Valley and Green Bay. After having three children, she stepped away from reporting and worked in public relations part-time. This allowed her to be home more with her middle daughter, Erika, who has a developmental disability.
Erika was also her inspiration to become immersed in the world of disability advocacy. In 2009, Pugh moved her family to Washington, D.C. to accept a fellowship position with The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation.
“I worked in Congress and at the Department of Education as a staffer, providing input and support around disability access in various policies,” she explains. “So I was learning as a fellow how the federal policy system works, and that kind of launched me into my professional disability advocate role.”
After her fellowship ended, Pugh worked at Disability Rights Wisconsin, led the ARC Wisconsin and was a lobbyist for disability causes, working in the state Capitol. Her advocacy experience in the political arena is what eventually led her back to broadcast journalism, accepting the “Newsmakers” role after host Steve Walters retired in 2021.
“I feel I’ve always had a natural curiosity about a wide variety of issues. That’s why I got into journalism in the first place. And I also had a lot of interest in politics,” says Pugh.
“Newsmakers,” which is available on-demand at wiseye.org, on partner cable channels statewide and is also distributed via podcast, dives into today’s hot-button issues. Impartiality is something WisconsinEye’s staff and Pugh take seriously when planning the show.
“We have board members who are from both parties and perspectives. We keep regular track of the balance of our guests in terms of if they identify as Democrat or Republican. Some guests are issue experts and may not fall into either category, but we’re always making sure that what we’re projecting is balanced … ” says Pugh.
Pugh notes that the topics women are most invested in this election season include abortion rights, issues impacting children (access to quality childcare, education, mental health) and caregiving concerns.
At her core, Pugh enjoys digging into what motivates people through her interviews and sharing expert knowledge so that viewers and listeners can be informed voters. And working within, and reporting on, the political system hasn’t jaded Pugh, either. It incentivizes her.
“I would say that my training as a disability advocate and as a mom … helps me to have that positive perspective and to be a problem-solver. … We really need to think about the solutions and who we need at the table to make things work better. So I’d say that what helps me stay positive [in this job] is that I think we still have people who believe that we have a great state and a great country — and want to continue to make it better.”
On living in Wisconsin:
“My husband’s a pilot, so we moved around a little bit for his job, and eventually he had the opportunity to come back to Wisconsin. I did a lot of research on where was a good place to raise a child with a disability and Madison was top of the list. That was back in 2000.”
On ageism in the media:
“I think [ageism] affects women, and particularly women who are still in media. I appreciate the breadth of knowledge that women bring and the wisdom … and I respect the women who stay in the media profession as they get older.”
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