Bipartisan bill to fund paid internships at local newsrooms laid over after unanimous committee support

The House Workforce Development Committee agreed March 26 to lay over House File 4072, a proposal to create a Local News Talent Pipeline program, after adopting an amendment that converts a direct appropriation into a competitive grant program.

Representative Wayne Johnson, who stepped in for Representative Green, moved to convert the bill to a competitive grant and said the proposal would appropriate $500,000 in fiscal year 2027 to the Workforce Development Fund to create paid internships and early-career placements in Minnesota community newsrooms.

Tara Brandel, who identified herself as co‑owner and publisher of Above the Fold Publishing, testified that paid internships helped her small weekly papers recruit and retain younger reporters. “Hiring an intern through the Minnesota News Media Institute’s internship program was one of the greatest blessings in the growth of our business,” Brandel said, describing multiple instances where an intern became a returning employee.

Wendy Paulson, president of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association, said local radio and television stations face recruiting challenges and that paid internships would expand access for students from diverse backgrounds. Lisa Hills, executive director of the Minnesota Newspaper Association and Minnesota News Media Institute, told the committee the program is scalable and that any amount of funding would be helpful.

Members offered bipartisan praise and asked whether the program could scale to smaller funding amounts; testifiers said it could. Representative Baker and other members emphasized local examples where internship-supported programs increased workforce capacity and filled critical local needs.

The committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion in a budget bill; no final appropriation was adopted at the hearing.