Minnesota Journalism Center aims to help reporters connect to resources and community in difficult times
Whether it is breaking news or complex investigative pieces, journalists in Minnesota have been tasked with telling a host of difficult stories, especially over the past year. The Minnesota Journalism Center (MJC) helps connect members of the press across the state with resources to help them tell those stories and keep their communities informed.
Meg Martin is the associate director of MJC, and she told WTIP that the center, which is part of the Hubbard School of Journalism at the University of Minnesota, has been around for over 40 years. About a year and a half ago, the University relaunched the center, focussing on research, student journalist experiences, and on providing support and resources for professional newsrooms across the state.
During the past year, as Minnesota’s journalists have covered political violence, mass shootings, Operation Metro Surge, and other trauma-centered stories, Martin said that the MJC has pivoted in the type of resources they have offered. The ability to pivot is by design. “We knew from the start that we wanted to be as agile as possible to meet whatever moment arises,” she explained.
One way the MJC is working to meet those needs is by connecting journalists with each other. Martin said that when the center relaunched, she spent time talking to reporters in newsrooms across the state, and everyone she spoke to expressed a wish to feel better connected to the press community.
In addition to fostering connection, Martin said that a main focus has been training reporters on staying safe. She said this includes physical safety, mental health protection, digital security, and legal training.
As more members of the media have been covering traumatic events and dealing with prolonged stress, Martin said that across the media landscape there has been a shift to talking more about what the mental health impacts of the job can be.
“My experience with those mental health conversations has been that certainly in the last five years, the journalism community has taken those conversations very seriously,” she said. “I’ve been really impressed with the way that people are, in the journalism community here, have been talking about the mental health impacts of this moment, and also like looking out for each other, thinking about how to stay well and stay connected.”
WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Minnesota Journalism Center Associate Director Meg Martin about how her organization aims to meet the needs of journalists. Audio of that interview is below.
Kirsten Wisniewski March 9, 2026
