Interviewing skills, values help MPR reporter uncover church’s secrets

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Madeleine Baran isn’t used to being in the spotlight. The Minnesota Public Radio reporter is more comfortable asking the questions and listening to others’ stories.But when she took the lead on an investigative story about sexual abuse by local Catholic priests, she started getting noticed. Her use of documents and interviews shed light on coverups and inaction by top-level church officials and prompted legal authorities to dig deeper into allegations.And that, Baran said, is a victory for her profession.”It shows the value of journalism, because here’s a story where the public did not know about it, and it was important and it required journalism – it required doing interviews, knowing how to fact-check things” and analyzing documents, she explained. “People want investigative reporting. It resonates with people. Continue Reading

BEHIND THE STORY | Sense and sensibility

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There are times when my sensibility gets in the way of being able to carry out my job as a writer, and there are times when it works for me. I’m constantly either pushing against it or allowing it, and then questioning myself afterward about whether I swayed too much one way or the other.Specifically, I worry. I worry about the people I write about, especially when I’m writing about communities that have historically been underrepresented. I think a lot about privilege in my work, and how my access and/or gatekeeper status as a writer affects those communities. There’s a part of me that wants to be an ally, and that does play a role in how I cover things and what I cover, but I know that as a journalist I can never leave all objectivity behind. Continue Reading

Minnesota State Fair: Good deed treat among new foods for 2014

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Not often do new food products at the Minnesota State Fair have a great taste, a feel good story and a pay it forward note after you finish. But that’s exactly what JonnyPops delivers. JonnyPops, one of 28 new foods debuting at the 2014 Fair, were created by a group of St. Olaf College entrepreneurs, who donate a portion of profits to Hazelden in hopes of helping teens battling addiction. Johnathan “Jonny” Jeffrey was a cousin of founder Erik Burst. Continue Reading

COMMUNITY VOICES | Doc U trains new documentarians

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This year, a dozen people will have the chance to tell their stories and become first time documentarians through the Doc U program at Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) St. Paul’s non-profit community media center. Past participants have walked away with a new outlook on the world in addition to new skills. “[Doc U] was an important experience,” said Chamath Perera, who participated in the 2013 class, creating a documentary on a Buddhist monk living in Minnesota. “Making a film was a dream long deferred, since high school, I think. Continue Reading

BEHIND THE STORY | When is a public meeting not public?

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On June 12, I attended a listening session of the St. Paul Public Schools. There was a bit of a hullabaloo when I came to the meeting. After I told the staff member taking names that I was a reporter, I was directed to speak with Tyrize Cox, Director of the SPPS Office of Family Engagement and Community Partnerships and the facilitator for the evening, and Michelle Walker, Chief Academic Officer for the district. While they didn’t tell me I couldn’t attend the meeting, they questioned why I would be there, saying that it wasn’t a real school board meeting but an informal listening session with a few of the board members. Continue Reading

Swiftboating Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, an opportunity to change the narrative on war

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The week just completed marked the 70th anniversary of D-Day (June 6) but the June 4, 2014, USA TODAY someone left in the McDonalds in Wahpeton ND, marks the true nature of “news” this past week. Indeed, the newspaper carried a long article on D-Day on page three; but the front page lead story was: “Bergdahl under new scrutiny”. A safe assumption: anyone who follows “news” knows who “Bergdahl” is, at least as portrayed in the media. Continue Reading