In 2024, Star Tribune has big plans for breaking news, expanded statewide coverage

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Happy New Year, Minnesota. For many, 2023 was a year of transition. The pandemic was declared over, the Twins ended the longest playoff losing streak in baseball and we even decided to create a new state flag.

What will 2024 bring?

Here at the Star Tribune, the answer to that question is quite a lot. Journalism is changing rapidly around the world as people find new ways to discover and create news. We're racing toward an AI future in which everyone will have a personal assistant in their pocket. And most media companies are downsizing or reshaping given a choppy market.

Things are different at the Star Tribune. As I wrote last fall, we think Minnesota is uniquely ready to be the strongest local media market in the country. We've been building a new team with a new vision to serve our state. We have strong local ownership that's committed to our success. If there was ever a new year ripe for resolutions, this is it.

Our New Year's resolution is to create the nation's leading model for local news, driving innovation in media to make every Minnesotan's life better.

To move toward that vision in 2024, we're doing a lot of things differently. First, we're doubling down on our commitment to breaking news. A new "Today Desk," launching later this month, will bring a new team together to track breaking and trending news so that you can stay on top of all that's unfolding every day in Minnesota. Managing Editor Maria Reeve is strengthening our reporting team; later we'll share changes to our digital platforms that will make following up-to-the-minute news easier.

We want to build a trusted news source where readers can come around the clock to learn what's happening across the state, rooted in great journalism and free from the clutter and misinformation of social media platforms.

We’re also going to expand our footprint across Minnesota. Just this week, we’ve posted new jobs to add reporters in north central and southwest Minnesota, regions where there have been gaps in our coverage. We’re also doubling down by expanding our existing reporting teams in St. Cloud and Rochester.

And we're hiring a Greater Minnesota columnist to travel the state and write about issues outside of the Twin Cities metro. This columnist will have a special focus on issues in rural Minnesota, shedding light on the broader American rural landscape at a dynamic time in our country.

Expanding our coverage and commentary in Minnesota doesn’t just mean hiring more people; we’re also exploring partnerships with other local organizations to amplify coverage across the state. We know that Minnesotans are deeply proud citizens who care about what’s happening everywhere in our state. Our goal to become a truly Minnesota news organization will help us to share more stories happening in a place that, in so many ways, is in the national spotlight.

We are also positioning ourselves to access funding from philanthropic sources, a growing trend in journalism. To that end, we're hiring a development director to spearhead this new effort for the Star Tribune. And, to grow our audience by connecting with new readers, we're hiring a senior vice president for consumer growth.

More changes will come as the year unfolds, and I'll report back with more columns like this.

The reason we’re so committed to growth is simple: Local journalism has never been more important to our democracy. No matter how you vote or what you believe, we can all agree that objective reporting about what’s happening in our state is essential to stronger communities. Without it, as we’ve seen in so many other states and cities across America, our social fabric will fray.

That’s why we ask you to subscribe to the Star Tribune. If on your list of New Year’s resolutions is doing something to improve your community, we’d humbly suggest a subscription to the Star Tribune, or a gift subscription for someone you love, is a great way to start the year. From our investigative reporting to our guides on food and culture, we’ve got something for everyone.

For 157 years, the Star Tribune has been a valuable source of news for Minnesota. In 2024, we're accelerating our efforts to be an essential asset for every Minnesotan, no matter your ZIP code, background or perspective.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to meet our mission every day: to build a better Minnesota by connecting the people, stories and ideas that strengthen our community.

We're excited for 2024.

Star Tribune CEO and Publisher Steve Grove is at steveg@startribune.com.