Wausau Pilot & Review reached 3.8 million people in 2025, delivering measurable community impact

The nonprofit newsroom published over 4,300 stories in 2025, combining daily local reporting with deep explanatory journalism.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 8:50pm

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Wausau Pilot & Review, a nonprofit newsroom, reached over 3.8 million people in 2025, a nearly 9% increase year over year. The newsroom published more than 4,300 stories in 2025, combining daily local reporting with deep explanatory journalism designed to help residents understand not just what is happening, but how decisions are made and how to participate before outcomes are finalized.

Why it matters

Wausau Pilot & Review prioritizes outcomes over clicks, focusing on measurable community impact across civic engagement, government accountability, public understanding of the justice system, and community connection. The newsroom's approach ensures the public is informed, systems are scrutinized, and decision-makers are held accountable.

The details

Wausau Pilot & Review expanded its meeting preview model, publishing clear, plain-language breakdowns of upcoming agenda items before votes were taken. This gave residents time to understand proposals, identify concerns, and weigh in during public comment. The model was expanded to include the Village of Weston, resulting in increased community awareness and participation across multiple municipalities. The newsroom's reporting on a City of Wausau development property sale raised serious questions about oversight, process, and risk to taxpayers, prompting policy-level changes and closer scrutiny at the city level. Wausau Pilot & Review also committed to full-arc courtroom coverage, following cases from charging decisions through plea hearings, trials, sentencing, dismissals, and appeals, ensuring the public understood not only allegations, but outcomes, legal standards, and the realities of the criminal justice system.

  • Wausau Pilot & Review reached over 3.8 million people in 2025.
  • The newsroom published more than 4,300 stories in 2025.
  • Wausau Pilot & Review is celebrating its ninth anniversary this week.

The players

Wausau Pilot & Review

A nonprofit newsroom that serves central Wisconsin, focusing on daily local reporting and deep explanatory journalism to help residents understand decision-making processes and how to participate.

Shereen Siewert

The founder, editor, and publisher of Wausau Pilot & Review.

City of Wausau

A municipality in central Wisconsin where Wausau Pilot & Review expanded its meeting preview model and reported on a development property sale that raised questions about oversight and risk to taxpayers.

Village of Weston

A municipality in central Wisconsin where Wausau Pilot & Review expanded its meeting preview model, resulting in increased community awareness and participation.

Tom Kilian

A columnist for Wausau Pilot & Review whose regular opinion and analysis columns sparked sustained community discussion about public spending, fiscal responsibility, and local governance.

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What they’re saying

“This newsroom exists to serve the public, not power. Impact isn't just measured in reach. It's measured in whether people show up informed, whether systems are scrutinized, and whether the public has the information it needs to hold decision-makers accountable.”

— Shereen Siewert, Founder, editor and publisher of Wausau Pilot & Review

“You can't serve democracy from behind a paywall. Independent local news has to be available to everyone.”

— Shereen Siewert, Founder, editor and publisher of Wausau Pilot & Review

“Trust is built through consistency. That means following stories all the way through, asking hard questions, and showing our work.”

— Shereen Siewert, Founder, editor and publisher of Wausau Pilot & Review

What’s next

In 2026, Wausau Pilot & Review plans to expand its impact through deeper impact tracking, tying coverage directly to civic participation and policy outcomes, collaborative projects, including its first community-driven book, and continued expansion of meeting previews, ensuring residents know what's at stake before decisions are made.

The takeaway

Wausau Pilot & Review's commitment to serving the public interest, holding institutions accountable, and ensuring all residents have access to essential local news regardless of income demonstrates the vital role independent local journalism plays in strengthening communities and upholding democratic principles.