HOT PURSUIT

Over the past year I have shared about an initiative called Press Forward which has vowed to reinvigorate local news in our communities.

Press Forward Minnesota is part of a national initiative to strengthen communities and democracy by supporting local news and information with an infusion of more than a half-billion dollars over the next five years. Press Forward will enhance local journalism at an unprecedented level to re-center local news as a force for community cohesion; support new models and solutions that are ready to scale; and close longstanding inequities in journalism coverage and practice.

The Steele County Times is one of 13 local newsrooms to receive a grant as part of a broader effort totaling $520,000. As we found out at a recent celebration of Press Forward’s first year, the nonprofit organization has been making incredible headwinds.

Our staff is providing transformational work with underserved groups within our communities. We are dedicating nearly weekly coverage to the underserved voices that are instrumental in making our communities better.

One key message rang out loudly during the celebration: local news is not just surviving, it’s thriving. News organizations are producing the kind of journalism that matters: local, trusted and rooted in the communities they serve.

During the celebration, I was fortunate to be one of four panelists to share what’s happening with community journalism, which in our case covers outstate Minnesota. I was joined by Jeff Hanks, CEO, Lakland PBS; Yengyee Lor, host of Uncover More Good, 3HmongTV (Hmong Broadcasting Company) and John Torgrimson, managing editor, Root River Current, Inc. 

I shared with the audience of about 50 professionals from around the state about some of the exciting things going on with the Times and how our underserved coverage is making a difference in the communities we serve.

Some of the challenges the panelists discussed included revenue streams, safety concerns when covering certain topics, and the threats facing public media. Highlights of the work include: providing culturally specific and responsive reporting, diversifying stories, and the important role that local journalism plays in telling critical stories at the grassroots level that would otherwise go untold.

I am grateful to Press Forward for partnering with news agencies throughout the state to fulfill a vision for a thriving, sustainable and equitable local news ecosystem in Minnesota that serves and reflects the diverse communities that make up our state.

Our work is far from over. We need to come together to engage in conversations around the goal of increasing investments in local news. We must find community members and other funders who care about the health of their local news ecosystems and their communities. As publisher, I am committed to making that happen here in Steele County.

The call to action rings loudly and clear – local news and information is critical to the wellbeing of Minnesotans, and it takes all of us going in hot pursuit to ensure that local news thrives for years to come.