Panel: Covering health and health policy in local communities

How can local journalism better serve the public in urgent matters of public health? 

Journalists play an important role in connecting people to the accurate information they need to make informed decisions about their own health, the health of their communities and broader policy debates around public health. That's especially true now, as science and medicine have become particularly politicized, and access to reliable health data is increasingly in jeopardy.

On March 5, join the Minnesota Journalism Center and the Collaborative on Media & Messaging for Health and Social Policy for a timely conversation about the challenges and opportunities in covering public health and health policy in local news.

The conversation will be moderated by Nina Moini, host of MPR News' noontime Minnesota Now show. She'll be joined by health journalists who cover communities across Minnesota -- and across the country:

• Joanne Kenen, independent journalist and Politico contributing editor
• Dené K. Dryden, Rochester Post Bulletin health reporter
• Marissa Evans, independent journalist
• Sheila Eldred, freelance health journalist 

About the event

The event will include a conversation with the journalists, questions from attendees and a reception with heavy appetizers, where we can continue the conversation.

• When: Wednesday, March 5, 2025
• Time: Doors open at 5 p.m.
• Where: The Market at Malcolm Yards (Machine Room), 501 30th Ave. SE, Minneapolis
• Cost: Free, but please RSVP
• RSVP: Please RSVP here

This panel conversation is co-sponsored by the Minnesota Pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

About the panelists

Dené K. Dryden is the health reporter for the Post Bulletin in Rochester, Minnesota. Working at the local level, she reports on Mayo Clinic's medical services, research and labor force, as well as various community and public health stories. Dené is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists, Investigative Reporters and Editors and the Society of Professional Journalists.

Health journalist Sheila Mulrooney Eldred writes for national publications such as The New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, and Kaiser Health News. She also writes for local publications such as Mpls.St.Paul Magazine and Sahan Journal. She is a graduate of Columbia's School of Journalism and a former newspaper reporter.

Marissa Evans is an independent journalist based in Los Angeles, specializing in health equity, racial disparities, social justice issues and culture reporting. Previously a health reporter at the Los Angeles Times, she covered the intersection of race, healthcare, and entertainment. Her extensive reporting on racial health inequities in America has shaped conversations about systemic reforms and policy change. She was previously the social issues reporter for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, where she focused on housing, health, and affordability issues throughout Minnesota. Her investigative work exposed how the state allowed private hospitals to seize tax refunds from individuals with unpaid medical bills, leading to legislative action in 2021 aimed at ending the policy.

Joanne Kenen is the inaugural Commonwealth Fund Journalist in Residence at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she also teaches about the changing political and economic landscape of US media and how it affects public health practitioners. She is a nationally known health journalist, writer, and public speaker. Kenen is a contributing editor to Politico Magazine, Politico “Nightly” and a regular panelist on Kaiser Health News’ “What the Health” podcast.

Moderator Nina Moini is the host of MPR’s midday show, Minnesota Now. Nina has been reporting across the state of Minnesota in radio and television news since 2013. Nina was born in Denmark to Iranian parents and immigrated to the United States when she was 5 years old. She grew up in Apple Valley, a suburb of the Twin Cities. A graduate of the University of Missouri, Moini is also a former University of Minnesota Industry Inclusion Fellow of the Hubbard School. Before joining MPR News, Moini reported daily news for WCCO-TV Minneapolis. She started her career as a special projects reporter for Waterman Broadcasting at WBBH/WZVN-TV in Fort Myers, Fla. 

Questions? 

Feel free to contact the Minnesota Journalism Center's Meg Martin at [email protected].  We hope to see you there!

Top photo: Winona State University-Rochester nursing student Marcus Mulvihill gives a demonstrations on how to use naloxone as fellow student Mackenzie Vycital looks on during Project Community Connect on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, at Riverside Central Elementary School in Rochester. Joe Ahlquist / Post Bulletin  [See more photos from this story.]