Report for Minnesota's Legislature team talks journalism, politics and the power of seeing government up close

By Minnesota Journalism Center staff

There's a new crop of reporters at the Minnesota State Capitol this session. 

The Minnesota Journalism Center and Hubbard School expanded their flagship Report for Minnesota program with a pilot effort aimed at providing statehouse coverage for local news outlets across the state, and offering Hubbard students the opportunity to cover the state Legislature.

Read the students' reporting: Report for Minnesota's Legislative Reporting Project coverage

KAXE/KBXE Northern Community Radio in Grand Rapids, Minn., was among the dozens of news organizations that participated. Chelsey Perkins, KAXE's news director — and a graduate of the Hubbard School's journalism program herself — interviewed the three students who launched the pilot: Sam Siedow, Elias Thomas and Yvette Higgins. (Listen to the full conversation on KAXE's website.) 

An excerpt from the story:

While all three described a love for telling stories that drew them to the field, none of the interns expected to find themselves covering state government — and enjoying it.

"Political reporting is something that I have never really considered, but through being a part of Report for Minnesota and being able to be at the Capitol, I've learned that there's a way to humanize every story," Siedow said. "There's always a human element, and politics, at the end of the day, touches everything in the world."

Thomas noted the experience is rounding out his resume as he prepares to enter the working world, and he's learning a lot about how government works.

"I've always been somebody who kind of stays away from politics. I have a general understanding of them, but I don't always participate in those conversations," he said. "But to see the workings of the government, especially at a local level, in a very interesting time in politics is very valuable as a reporter."

Higgins agreed she wasn't drawn to government reporting at first, but has gained valuable experience in St. Paul.

"You get to talk to a wide variety of people, and you can always add human interest aspects," Higgins said. " ... I think it's the stories that again, people really care about, and it's nice to know that there are people in Greater Minnesota who are reading our stories and really appreciating them."

The Capitol team is led by editor Mike Mulcahy, who recently retired from MPR News after decades of covering Minnesota politics. Gayle (GG) Golden, a senior lecturer at the Hubbard School and associate director of the MJC's educational initiatives, spearheaded the pilot.

In addition to KAXE, the students are reporting for outlets across the state, from Albert Lea to the Iron Range. 

Two additional Hubbard students, Emma Ritter and Jack O'Connor, are covering the statehouse exclusively for Forum News Service, which reaches news organizations across Minnesota and the Dakotas. 

Questions about the Report for Minnesota Legislative Reporting Project? Explore the students' reporting on our Report for Minnesota website — or contact GG at [email protected].