Woodbury News Net (WNN) is excited to be one of three nonprofit newsrooms to benefit from a $200,000 grant from the McKnight Foundation. The two-year grant will support WNN, Eden Prairie Local News, and Prior Lake News Compass in establishing their own independent, nonprofit newsrooms.
The grant also will help found the Metro Nonprofit News Network (MNNN) to help the three newsrooms share resources and technical support, develop their audiences, and grow their revenue while supporting the creation of other newsrooms across the metro area.
WNN launched its email newsletter, The Roundabout, on Aug. 1, sending it to its initial list of 100 supporters. Within two months, the subscriber base has grown to 2,000. WNN also has launched its website with weekly updates.
“The enthusiastic response to The Roundabout clearly demonstrates how much our community values having access to trustworthy journalism with content that is well-sourced, factual, and unbiased,” said Kathy Saltzman, a former state senator and one of the founding members of WNN. “We are both grateful and thrilled that the McKnight Foundation recognizes the value of local journalism and is supporting this collaborative work with our MNNN partners to grow more robust and sustainable local newsrooms.”
Susan Kent, also a former state senator for Woodbury and a WNN co-founder, said, “I was in office as all our local news outlets closed, and I heard from residents who were missing basic community information. Lack of local news has been shown to lead to lower voter turnout, more government waste and corruption, and less civic engagement. It’s exciting that major funders like the McKnight Foundation are stepping in to help local newsrooms grow and become independent. This grant is a major boost in our journey.”
“So many people have expressed their appreciation for our work,” said Pat Mack, a WNN co-editor and leader of its editorial group. “There’s a growing realization that the old business model for news is in trouble and communities need to create their own non-profit, independent news sources. This McKnight grant is a testament to the urgency of the moment.”
For the past year, WNN’s volunteer launch team has benefitted from advice and support provided by Eden Prairie Local News leadership who have generously shared their expertise and technical knowledge. The creation of the MNNN will allow for continued collaboration and growth. The Eden Prairie Community Foundation has played a key role as a catalyst and will serve as the fiscal sponsor for the network.
In addition to Kent, Mack and Saltzman, WNN’s leadership team includes Paul Huffman, Rich Radke, and Manali Shah. Stay tuned for more details on WNN’s plan to grow its newsroom. More information about the McKnight Foundation and the Metro Nonprofit News Network is here.
