Panel hears proposal to expand paid internships for Minnesota newsrooms

Senator Gustafson presented Senate File 4183 to create a Local News Talent Pipeline program that would place emerging and early‑career journalists in Minnesota’s community newsrooms across print, radio, TV and digital platforms, modeled on a program run by the Minnesota News Media Network.

Wendy Paulson, president of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association, said the program allows stations and newsrooms to offer paid internships that make journalism careers accessible to students of varied backgrounds and helps sustain local news capacity across 300 member stations. "Investing in the journalism workforce helps ensure Minnesotans continue to have access to trusted local news and information," Paulson said.

Publishers and editors from small weekly newspapers described staffing shortages and how a tested internship program placed dozens of interns who later joined local newsrooms. Matt McMillan (Press Publications) cited national and state counts for newspapers and urged expansion of an existing internship model to meet demand across Minnesota’s 242 newspapers.

Committee members thanked witnesses and discussed local newsroom needs; Senate File 4183 was laid over for possible inclusion so the committee can review letters of support and program design details.