Minnesota Newspaper Association & Minnesota News Media Institute

01/15/2025

Meet the MNA Convention Speakers: Event Strategies: Bill Gaier and Jill Wicht are presenting a session you'll want to bring the whole team to. The Finance & Commerce team has a track record of staging can’t-miss and profitable awards programs and events. They will share with you several types of events to drive revenue for your organization and explain how to maintain costs to drive profit.

You'll learn the process of gathering nominations, selecting honorees and selling sponsorship packages. Jill will share how to choose venues that will partner with you and what makes attendees want to attend your next event.

Join us Friday afternoon, Jan. 31, at the MNA Convention & Trade Show for Events to Engage Audiences & Grow Revenue. Register here: https://bit.ly/2025MNAConvention

01/15/2025

Meet the MNA Convention Speakers: Learn from three of the best revenue minds in the Upper Midwest, then take that information back to your teams with Thursday morning's Train the Trainer session. You’ll be prepared to raise the game of your current sales pros and get new hires set for success. The session is led by Phil Frebault, Patty Steele and Steve Jameson.

Phil is the regional advertising director for Forum Communications. He brings deep experience in sales management roles at the Toledo Blade, Digital First Media, Outdoor News and more. He’ll be moderating the session.

Patty is general manager at Press Publications, building on more than 25 years in the newspaper industry in a variety of sales and management positions with Lee Enterprises, The Pioneer Press and Rivertown/Forum Communications.

In addition to serving on the MNA and MNI Boards of Directors and as publisher of the The Free Press in Mankato, Steve is a regiaonl executive with CNHI. Over the course of his career, he’s been a copywriter, classified director, owner/publisher, director of printing, regional ad director and more. Register here today: https://bit.ly/2025MNAConvention

01/15/2025

Meet the MNA Convention speakers: All those Snaps and TikToks and Threads and Blueskies can make you feel adrift in a social media sea. Lori Weber Menke and Shane Mercer talk about where to devote your limited resources to get some bang for your social media buck.

Lori is the Director of Audience Development & Engagement for Forum Communications Co. Shane is a Business & Community Development Manager for Forum Communications. Join them to learn effective, efficient skills to make your social media decisions. Register here by Friday, when registration rates go up: https://bit.ly/2025MNAConvention

01/14/2025

Meet the MNA Convention speakers: Boost your news sourcing with experts who live right here in Minnesota - and even in your community. Learn how to connect - fast - with researchers, experts and other notables to bolster your understanding of current issues and bring that expertise to your readers. Presented by Jake Ricker and Andria Waclawski of the University of Minnesota. Register here: https://bit.ly/2025MNAConvention

01/13/2025

Meet the MNA Convention speakers: Tara Brandl has carved out a long career in southwest Minnesota newspapers. She spent 16 years at the Marshall Independent - 15 of those years as advertising manager. In 2019, she pivoted to publishing with the purchase of the Tracy Area Headlight Herald with her partner. She is a member of the MNA and MNI Boards of Directors and co-chairs the MNA Advertising Committee. She'll be leading a management track roundtable discussion Friday morning, Jan. 31, at the MNA Convention, especially for people who are juggling multiple jobs at small shops. Join for insights about how to handle it all. Register here: https://bit.ly/2025MNAConvention

01/13/2025

It's time to book your MNA Convention hotel room. The deadline to get the guaranteed MNA rate is 5 p.m. TODAY. https://bit.ly/MNA2025HOTEL

01/10/2025

Meet the MNA Convention speakers: Mark Anfinson specializes in First Amendment and information law. He’s the expert behind the Minnesota Newspaper Association’s Legal Hotline, and a key member of MNA’s lobbying team at the Capitol. He’s also an adjunct faculty member at the University of St. Thomas. Mark will reprise the indepensible Legal Update session in his traditional Friday time slot. Register here: https://bit.ly/2025MNAConvention

01/09/2025

Meet the MNA Convention speakers: Casey Ek was born and raised in the Mankato area, and graduated from American University in 2016 with a degree in journalism and a minor in religious studies. He began shooting award-winning photos for the Mankato Free Press in 2017 and has shot multimedia projects for numerous publications and nonprofits. On Friday afternoon, Jan. 31, he'll be presenting a session focused on creating high-quality images when you're juggling multiple tasks on assignment. Register here: https://bit.ly/2025MNAConvention

01/08/2025

Meet the MNA Convention speakers: Doug Hanneman served as editor of Minnesota newspapers for more than 40 years before retiring from the Hutchinson Leader in 2018. Since then, he has kept his eyes on the skies, lakes, woods and farm fields near his rural home while periodically reporting on local climate change impacts. He is a founding faculty member of the Minnesota News Media Institute’s Citizen Journalism University and in 2024 he completed his climate change studies certificate. Join him Friday morning, Jan. 31, at the MNA Convention for "Fleas, Wildfire Smoke and Blue-Green Algae: Telling Stories about Climate Change and Other Environmental and Energy Issues in Your Community." (Psst! He'll be sharing 109 robust story ideas that can be done in almost any Minnesota community.) Register here: https://bit.ly/2025MNAConvention

01/07/2025

It's here - the full lineup for the 158th Annual MNA Convention & Trade Show! Check out 15 sessions for advertising, news and management tracks led by experts from Poynter, the University of Minnesota, Hacks/Hackers, Bethel University - and your MNA peers. Join sessions for students, celebrations for your great work in the past year and honoring of our 50-year members. Jan. 29-31, 2025, Brooklyn Park. Register here today: https://bit.ly/2025MNAConvention

12/30/2024

Happy New Year & Best Wishes for 2025! The Minnesota Newspaper Association and the Minnesota News Media Institute are governed by a dedicated group of board members who work hard to ensure the association’s strategic direction and fiscal decisions are in the best interests of members, the association and Minnesota’s news media.

We join them in wishing you a sucessful and satisfying 2025!_The MNA offices will close at noon Tuesday, Dec. 31, and reopen with normal hours on Thursday, Jan. 2.

12/23/2024

Happy holidays from your MNA/MNI staff! Wishing you all the best as you celebrate the season.

The MNA office will be closed from noon on Christmas Eve through Christmas Day. We'll be open again on Thursday and Friday.

11/27/2024

11/21/2024

It's Give to the Max Day, a great time to support community journalism in Minnesota with a tax-deductible donation to the Minnesota News Media Institute. MNI provides student and professional training, paid internships for high school and college students, innovative programs like Citizen Journalism University, fiscal sponsorship for journalism organizations and advocacy for local journalism in the wider philanthropic community. Follow the link to support quality journalism in Minnesota. Thank you! https://www.givemn.org/organization/Mnainstitute

11/20/2024

GIVE TO THE MAX: Tomorrow is Minnesota's biggest fundraising day of year! Please help support the training, internships and nonprofit advocacy provided by the Minnesota News Media Institute by clicking here - early donations are already under way!

https://www.givemn.org/organization/Mnainstitute

With your support, we can do even more to help MNA members build their skills, provide support for MNI internships, advocate for community news in the state's nonprofit sector and run innovate programs including Citizen Journalism University.

10/28/2024

Congratulations to the Minnesota News Media Institute/Bethel University Citizen Journalism University Class of 2024! Five weeks of intensive training, practical work and mentorship have given these 14 students the skills to help keep their communities informed and connected. Congratulations, graduates!

- Chen Dade, sponsored by the Pelican Rapids Press;
- Michael Ennis, sponsored by the Martin County Star;
- Cordelia Frykman, sponsored by the Elk River Star News;
- Logan Gion, sponsored by Press Publications;
- Norman Hayes, sponsored by the Traverse City Record-Eagle (MI);
- Sidni Hendren, sponsored by the Lake County Press;
- Brittney Nopar, sponsored by Sycamore Media (IA);
- Carin Peterson, sponsored by The Northeaster;
- Lisa Rau, sponsored by the Renville County Register;
- Loria Rebuffoni, sponsored by the Faribault County Register;
- David Salzer, sponsored by The Northeaster;
- Martha Jones Sichko, sponsored by the Albert Lea Tribune
- Daren Strobel, sponsored by the Owatonna People's Press;;
- Shalon Wilber, sponsored by Star Publications.

CJU wouldn't be possible without the generous gifts of time an expertise from our instructors: Bethel University Prof. Scott Winter, Jim Pumarlo, Marie Zimmerman, Brent Schacherer, Doug Hanneman and Lisa Schwarz.

Our mentors provide CJU student with support, advice and an invaluable real-world perspective. Thanks to this year's CJU mentors: Natasha Barber, Scott Tedrick, Kitty Mayo, Sarah Stultz, Trevis Mayfield, Jim Pumarlo, Doug Hanneman, Lou Hoglund, Lisa Schwarz, Chuck Hunt, Jim Boyle, Vince Brown, Shannon Granholm, Brent Schacherer and Rebecca Pierce.

CJU, funded by the Minnesota News Media Institute, Bethel University and participating newspapers, has now trained more than 60 citizen journalists in communities across Minnesota!