Milwaukee media glitterati gather at historic pub

At the Newsroom Pub on East Wells St., heightened ceilings hold dim lights that spill on the faces of well-known members of the local media.

Behind a voluminous bar, suited writers and jubilant broadcasters of the Milwaukee scene project their smiles onto one another, exchanging handshakes and playful recollections, under the auspices of the Milwaukee Press Club.

Joette Richards is a key administrator within the organization, and she hopes that students, as well as locals, are enticed by the inevitability of networking at such an event.

When asked if the Club seeks publicity, she is quick to answer: “I promoted this event through Twitter, Facebook, and even LinkedIn. Many of the events we host come at discounted rates; we even have free events, like this one tonight.”

She expects five-or-so eager college students to show up, soaking up the knowledge that will help launch them into the field.

“I’d like to give people employment opportunities,” she adds with her head spinning, as she is also responsible for keeping track of the attendance tonight.

Among the 150 faces present tonight: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Publisher Elizabeth Brenner, Susan Kim of TMJ4, co-anchor Kathy Mykleby of WISN 12 News at 6 and 10 p.m., as well as 540 ESPN Milwaukee’s Drew Olson. One face not often associated with the journalistic cognoscenti, is Mayor Tom Barrett, who says he “had to get back to work” after he serves a few beverages as a celebrity bartender.

President of the Club, LaToya Dennis, who was elected in October, believes that the Meet the Media event is a fair representation of a club that is grounded in values that all Milwaukeeans can relate to.

“One thing people should take away from this event and from the Club in general, is that our organization is wholeheartedly Milwaukee and that we welcome all ages, races, ethnicities, and working classes,” she says, amidst a rare uncrowded area.

The newly elected president, Dennis, also firmly believes that students should seek this opportunity to make connections and promote themselves, deeming it a great event to build resumes at.  “{The new generation} controls the times, so it is important to delve into the many outlets of the media, in order to cater to them.”

In one hallway, coat racks cannot handle the heft of various furs and corporate coats, while above the bar, positioned between two cumbersome televisions, hangs a large sign acknowledging the sponsors of tonight’s event, Mueller Communications and WE Energies.

Having (seemingly) settled on The Newsroom Pub (in cooperation with the Safe House) as a permanent headquarters, the club has been keen on opening its doors to inquiring members, no matter how many doors they, as a collective unit, have had to pass through.

As traipsing around the bar wearing a smile on his swiveling head, is former UW-Milwaukee graduate (of which there are plenty tonight) and former Press Club President, Steve Jagler, who is currently the business editor for the Journal Sentinel. Having been well-recognized for so many years, he cherishes seeing members of the media familiarizing the field for somewhat naïve and aspiring journalism students.

Jagler, whose definition of journalism is “an honest pursuit of the truth,” believes that branding is important for upcoming journalists, calling it “critical.” “Everyone has a brand, and if they don’t know it, somebody else is in control of it.”

A haven for anyone interested in writing, common advice found within the confines of the Newsroom Pub and the Safe House tonight has orbited around celebrity and brand-building, multimedia experience, and a curious interest in people.

The Milwaukee Press Club is the oldest press club in North America that is in continual operation, having been established in November of 1885. As of now, the club has since breached its exclusivity, now offering memberships to journalists working in other media, editors, publishers and people with a specific professional interest in the press.

Polished wood floors have been cleared at this point, as the wordsmiths, business leaders, and anchors of camaraderie, have been dispensed into the cold Milwaukee night. As they are about to leave, a handful of UW-Milwaukee students converge, donning starry eyes with business cards engulfed by their winter hands-branded; for, someday, they might be passing out their cards, acclimating students into the world of journalism.