Wisconsin Life began as an audio series on WPR in 2011 with personal stories about what it means to be in or from Wisconsin. Episodes range from essays, to interviews, and/or field pieces and air twice a week during Morning Edition, reaching our largest statewide audience. In 2013, Wisconsin Public Television joined the effort creating a multiplatform project that now includes a video, audio, and digital content as well as social. Our goal is for everyone to hear someone that sounds like someone they know as well as someone they didn’t know lived in Wisconsin.
We want to create a rich cultural map of the state made up of many voices, including many that you don’t generally hear on public broadcasting – high school kids, seniors, homeless people. We are Wisconsin Public Broadcasting and we want to create a place (and have created a place) that sounds and looks like Wisconsin. It’s an ongoing process but our audience seems to love the program. We get dozens of story suggestions daily, and our subjects often recommend other people to us, growing our community and reach.