Impact Report 2024
Impact Report 2024
Building on a legacy of more than 150 years, and under the guidance of local ownership that is passionate about our state, the Minnesota Star Tribune is investing in the coverage of issues and topics that help more Minnesotans be heard, represented and informed.
Here at the Minnesota Star Tribune, we believe that local journalism is the lifeblood of an informed and engaged community. And we’re fortunate to call Minnesota home – with all of the great people that lead our nation in civic engagement, philanthropic giving and community connection.
We’re blessed to operate in our exceptional state, and we’ve undergone significant changes to ensure you have access to the high-quality reporting, information and facts that you need to make your own informed decisions amidst tumultuous times.
At a time when the economic model for quality journalism is deeply under threat, the Minnesota Star Tribune is creating new ways for people and organizations to support this critical resource for the state.
In this report, we’re proud to recap some of our most impactful work over the past year, while never losing sight of the fact that our most important asset is you, our readers. All of this work has been done with you at the center of our efforts, so we can help build a better Minnesota by connecting you with the ideas and stories that strengthen our community.
From completely rebuilding our digital backend, to expanding across the state to serve all of Minnesota, to restructuring our newsroom to better serve your needs, to launching a reimagined opinion platform in Strib Voices, to rebranding to the Minnesota Star Tribune, to providing free election coverage, to launching our organization’s first ever philanthropy effort in the Local News Fund, to securing innovative tech partnerships with the likes of Google and OpenAI, we’ve made significant strides in establishing a new business model for local news organizations.
And we’re just getting started.
Thank you for your interest in learning about our progress and for your generous support in preserving local news.
With deepest gratitude,
Steve Grove
CEO and Publisher
The Minnesota Star Tribune
2024 was a pivotal year for the Minnesota Star Tribune. Facing change head on, we embraced a new way of doing things around here. From the ground up, we reimagined what was important to our readers. What they wanted from the stories we covered. And how they were able to access those stories throughout their day.
To do that effectively, we explored company-wide initiatives to better deliver meaningful content that resonated and aligned with the values and interests of all Minnesotans.
Using well-defined goals in 2024, we set out on a number of important objectives, including dramatically growing our digital subscribers, diversifying and building new revenue models through amped-up events throughout the year, leaning deep into innovation knowing that our talent is what drives our success, and strengthening our culture of belonging in every corner of the company.
In the pages that follow, you’ll see some of that work in the stories we covered, in the programs we started, and in the dedication we have to building a better Minnesota.
Harris/Walz 2024
Nobody was better positioned than the Minnesota Star Tribune to tell the world about Tim Walz after Kamala Harris selected him to be her running mate. Our politics team dove deeply into his record as Minnesota’s Governor and as a member of Congress. We followed him on the campaign trail, and were with the campaign in Philadelphia on election night. We took down our paywall in the weeks leading up to election day, making all of our coverage — including our Voter’s Guide and results table – free.
Charter Schools
The charter school movement started in Minnesota and is often hailed as one of the most significant public education revolutions in the last half-century. But reporting by the Minnesota Star Tribune revealed that the state’s pioneering charter school system, which receives about $1 billion in taxpayer funding, is failing thousands of children. The state’s hands-off approach to regulation has created a sink-or-swim culture in which dozens of charter schools shut down because of bad planning, financial chicanery and mismanagement. Even worse: many charter school students in Minnesota are failing to deliver on the promise of improved academic achievement.
The Minnesota Star Tribune Rebrand
The Minnesota Star Tribune relaunched under a new brand platform for its audience as ‘The Heart and Voice of the North.’ Following a reimagination of its technology products, reporting focus, and growth strategy, the company has positioned itself for a new chapter in a dynamic and challenging time for journalism. Adding Minnesota to its nameplate to signal an expanded, state-wide focus going forward, the company’s mission is to connect the people, ideas, and stories that strengthen Minnesota’s communities.
At the Minnesota Star Tribune, our goal is to build a better Minnesota by connecting with the people, ideas and stories that strengthen our communities. There isn’t any better way to do this than being out in the communities we serve. Listening and learning from people in all corners of our state while having some fun along the way. Here are just a couple of examples of how we embrace that philosophy and celebrate with Minnesotans.
The Wrap
The Wrap’s inaugural event welcomed over 800 guests into our historic printing facility to experience the news, events, and people that shaped Minnesota in 2024. The immersive event experience was a reflection of the biggest stories from 2024 and a celebration of Minnesotans who are making a lasting impact on the state.
Minnesota Matters
Minnesota Matters is our ongoing discussion series that brings Minnesota Star Tribune journalists on tour to engage with communities across the state. Now in its second year, the 2024 series continued our commitment to convening Minnesotans for conversations on the future of media and the issues most relevant to their regions.
In 2024, we launched the Minnesota Local News Fund to respond to the urgent need of declining newspaper and local news — and we’re just getting started.
Subscription and advertising revenue alone can’t provide the resources needed for professional local journalism, so many news outlets – including the Minnesota Star Tribune – are turning to community funding, as well, where donations from individuals, institutions and businesses help extend the reach and capabilities of local news organizations.
Our Mission: To build a better Minnesota by connecting people with the ideas and stories that strengthen our communities.
What are the donations used for?
Primarily, to help fund these three important impact areas.
Investigative Journalism Hub
We hold power to account. Our work leads to action, reform, and greater transparency across Minnesota.
Environmental Journalism Hub
From climate change to conservation, we’re covering the most critical environmental challenges of our time.
Bridging Divides
Minnesota is increasingly divided-geographically, economically, politically. We’re creating journalism that listens, connects, and finds solutions.
2024 Highlights
• 600+ donors gave to support public-interest journalism
• 2 new reporting positions funded
• Strib AI Lab Fellowship launched
“I’m enthusiastic about this undertaking. It seems to hold promise as a way to share important news and opinions with more Minnesotans and (maybe) bring us together even when we have different perspectives on the news. Actually, those different perspectives, when listened to, help us understand one another during this time of societal divides.”
-Peggy, Founding Donor
We also introduced Strib Voices in 2024, which encompasses all opinion journalism at the Minnesota Star Tribune as well as more commentary from people across Minnesota. Our goal is to make Strib Voices the leading water cooler for local conversation in the country.
Strib Voices writers provide commentary on a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to politics, culture, sports, and the social concerns of Minnesotans. Strib Voices includes writers from the Star Tribune’s Opinion and News departments, as well as a rotating cadre of community contributors. Strib Voices commentary is informed by expertise, research, reporting and community engagement.
As we transition from a year of rethinking what we do and how we do it to a year of growth, our efforts are starting to bear fruit. We’re entering 2025 with optimism, bolstered by a position of strength — an aberration in local media. We will continue to “work the plan” delivering the stories and topics that resonate with our readers and what they find of value. Because in the end, we’re confident that our goal of strengthening our communities, achieving greater growth and success will follow. New efforts include:
Worth It Podcast
Nicole Norfleet and Aaron Brown curate a weekly guide featuring Minnesota stories and happenings that are worth your time.
North Star Summit
Taking place on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, at the Walker Art Center, this event brings together the Midwest’s top minds in politics, business, culture, and innovation to discuss the issues, ideas and solutions that will shape the future of our region and America.
Minnesota Rising
This new one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art platform at StarTribune.com is the largest and most comprehensive Cause Marketing Site in the region.
Foundry North
One of the largest full-service digital media agencies in the Midwes, offering extensive experience and a record of success crafting media strategies and creative for our partners. to deliver the right message, to the right people, in the right place.
Ghost of a Chance
Reporter Eric Roper’s riveting podcast chronicalling the history of the Robinson’s, one of the first black families in south Minneapolis. Find out who they were and what happened to them.