World Press Institute brings international journalists to the North Shore

Kalli Hawkins | September 15, 2026

Eight journalists from around the world arrived in Grand Marais on Sunday, Sept. 13, as part of a multi-day visit to Cook County.

The journalists are participants in the World Press Institute, or WPI, an annual fellowship program that brings international journalists to the United States to explore media, culture, politics and current issues.

The 2026 WPI fellows represent Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, Ethiopia, Finland, India and Italy. They work for international and national news organizations including Clarín, GloboNews, bTV, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Helsingin Sanomat, Hindustan Times and Rai News 24.

As part of their Minnesota tour, the journalists visited the Minnesota State Fair and met with media organizations, government officials and community leaders before traveling north to Cook County.

During the Grand Marais portion of the tour, the journalists will explore the Gunflint Trail, visit the Cook County History Museum and Grand Portage National Monument, and spend time at WTIP.

The Grand Marais visit also includes two public events. The first is a journalist forum at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. During the forum, the visiting journalists will discuss their experiences reporting in different political and cultural environments worldwide. The event will also include a question-and-answer session with the visiting journalists.

The following evening, Wednesday, Sept. 16, the journalists will attend a community potluck at the Congregational Church from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

WTIP spoke with two of the eight WPI journalists after they arrived in Grand Marais. Audio is below.