The announcement that The Capital Times has purchased WisPolitics.com has been duly noted elsewhere. But there's a little back story, too.
Jeff Mayers, the founder and president of WisPolitics, had the idea for the political website and news service when he was working as a reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal 10 years ago. He pitched the idea to the State Journal to operate it as their site, but they were uninterested. (The State Journal has lagged behind many newspapers in online operations.)
So Mayers found some backers, quit the newspaper and started WisPolitics on his own.
To have it now part of the Capital Times operation, which has become almost entirely an online publication, is only fitting. The liberal CT and conservative WSJ were fierce rivals for decades, despite being partners in Madison Newspapers, Inc.
We'll reserve judgment on whether this will change WisPolitics' politics and point of view, which has leaned somewhat rightward.
Postscript: Cap Times Editor Paul Fanlund is an ex-State Journal staffer, too.