Author

Christina Lieffring

A photo shows the author seated at a table at a sidewalk cafe, facing the camera.

Christina Lieffring is Tone Madison’s Managing Editor, a free-wheelin’ freelancer, and lifelong Midwesterner.

Christina's Latest Articles

The "tone madison" logo in all lowercase, centered in the concentric-circle font face designed by Shelby Floyd, on a metallic bronze-colored gradient background that gradually turns to the color black from top to bottom.
The meanings of Tone Madison
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Microtones
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April 3, 2026

Current and former editors reflect on the publication's life and legacy.

The "tone madison" logo in all lowercase, centered in the concentric-circle font face designed by Shelby Floyd, on a peach-colored background.
Tone Madison is saying goodbye
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Microtones
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March 20, 2026

We are sad, but grateful too.

Photo of a large, boxy, multi-family housing complex at a street corner. It's painted in shades of white and grey. Each unit has thin, elongated sets of windows. The traffic intersection at a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) stop can be seen in the foreground.
Starter homes? No, we need starter apartments
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Microtones
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February 27, 2026

As homeownership continues to be out of reach for too many Madisonians, we should build more owner-occupied, multi-family housing.

Daytime photo of the outdoor food pantry and bench on Few Street around the corner from the Social Justice Center in Madison. The wooden bench sits in the foreground at an angle with a small plaque on the back that reads "Rest, my brothers and sisters, from your friend, Dr. Dave Deci Madison Street Medicine 2017-2023." Behind it is a larger wooden cabinet with two sets of doors and glass panels that contains only a few canned goods on the shelving inside. The rightmost door is open.
Madison needs a wake-up call
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Microtones
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February 13, 2026

The longer we pretend this City is a progressive haven, the more people will be harmed.

Photo of the Wisconsin Capitol with the "Forward" statue on the stairs. Image has been desaturated except the yellow of the dome. A mesh screen filter has also been added.
What’s ahead in Wisconsin politics in 2026?
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Politics
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January 12, 2026

Madison politics reporters discuss their perspectives on WORT-FM's "A Public Affair."

Photo of a museum gallery with several works of art on display.
Could an exhibition like “Guiding Ethos” find a home in Madison?
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Culture
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December 22, 2025

A group show at Appleton's Trout Museum stands up for "political" art in an era of cowardice and compliance.

A cropped screenshot from a standard-definition online video shows a Black sheriff in uniform speaking directly into the camera. He stands in his office with bright natural light streaming in through the blinds behind him. A blurry American flag borders the video image, along with two sheriff badge seals along the bottom corners. Subtitles appear in between: "the Dane County Sheriff's Office didn't receive anything."
What Dane County needs vs. what Sheriff Barrett wants
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Politics
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November 12, 2025

The Dane County Board's 2026 budget amendments meet the moment.

Help Tone Madison live to fight another day
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Misc
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November 3, 2025

With advertising revenue down, we need your help more than ever.

A brown bat hangs from a dirt ceiling in a dark space.
Bats in the bedroom
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Culture
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October 22, 2025

Spooky season coincides with increased human-bat encounters.

A black-and-white photo of a large outdoor billboard tilted at a left angle. In large black font, it reads "AUSTERITY ISN'T WORKING." Below that, a winding crowd of people wait at the unemployment office. In the bottom right corner, smaller black font reads "Britain's better off with the alternatives."
Unlearning the impulses of austerity
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Microtones
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October 10, 2025

If we're going to not only survive but thrive, we will have to do it together.