A man in central Minnesota decided to walk this fall from Baxter to Bemidji in what looks like a human-sized hamster wheel.  Renee Richardson, managing editor of the Brainerd Dispatch, chronicled the journey.  “The wheel brings with it a monotony of measured steps,” Richardson wrote in a September story. “And moving it around curves and corners is a bit like asking the person using…

Reporter John Myers listened closely when a researcher he knows mentioned something “you probably wouldn’t be interested in.”  The result is a feature story published this summer in the Duluth News Tribune that’s also the latest installment of Minnesota Sampler, a periodic MNSPJ feature that spotlights great work by journalists across the state. Myers was interviewing Jay Austin, a scientist at the University of Minnesota-Duluth who has a knack for stumbling…

Hear from veteran journalists, a media attorney, a community organizer and police on how to report on protests, with tips for protecting yourself and your data. This panel presentation will take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, with networking to begin at 6 p.m. Head over to Nicholson Hall, Rm 35, 216 Pillsbury Dr SE, Minneapolis, U of M East Bank. This is a free event, open to all.…

Looking for an internship at a media outlet? The 2017 Minnesota SPJ Intern Night is a great opportunity to learn about journalism internships throughout the state, network with media professionals and meet fellow journalism students. No previous internship experience is required to attend. Panelists will include media professionals and intern managers from WCCO, the Star Tribune, the Pioneer Press and…

The Society of Professional Journalists has recognized the Minnesota Pro Chapter as one of eight in the nation to win the Circle of Excellence Award. The Minnesota chapter won the award for its professional development programs. The chapter presented a number of professional development events for journalists in 2016, including a program with the Star Tribune on trust in news media…

“The Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has joined a motion to intervene to review public information from files emanating from the Jacob Wetterling abduction case. MNSPJ, along with other journalism organizations, filed to be part of a larger legal discussion on what records collected in the case may be public and which will remain private. We look…

Journalists from across the state were honored Thursday evening at the 2017 Minnesota SPJ Page One Awards. Laura Yuen, a reporter for MPR News, took home Journalist of the Year honors while Andy Mannix, a reporter for the Star Tribune, was named Young Journalist of the Year.  The staff of the Star Tribune received the Story of the Year award for its…

As a result of First Amendment advocacy efforts by the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists, the Minnesota Department of Corrections has decided to allow photojournalists back into Minnesota State Prisons to take photographs and video under certain conditions. This is a significant step forward after cameras were completely banned by a policy implemented in 2015. MNSPJ leaders met with Department…

Martiga Lohn, a former newswoman for the Associated Press who works for the state Department of Human Services, wrote the following for SPJ’s ongoing Tell us Your Story series, a salute to former journalists who have moved on to new adventures. For more than 20 years, I gave journalism everything I could.  But when I had a child and needed…