Former lawmakers plan local news site in Woodbury
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Two former state legislators are looking to launch a local news site in Woodbury.
Why it matters: With more than 78,000 residents, the east metro suburb is the state's eighth-largest city. But like many communities across Minnesota, it's seen local news sources dry up in recent years.
What's happening: Susan Kent, a former Senate DFL leader, and former Sen. Kathy Saltzman recently announced plans for a "non-partisan, hyper-local and community-led" news outlet modeled after Eden Prairie Local News.
Context: When Kent started serving in the Legislature in 2012, the area had multiple local sources, including the Woodbury Bulletin.
- "By 2020, it was all gone," Kent told Axios.
What they're saying: The impact of those losses started to hit home when her constituents complained about a lack of information about town halls and other local issues.
- "It just was so clear that there's just not a resource out there for local people to know what's going on," she said.
What to expect: Regular coverage of local events and government, business openings, and other stories meant to cultivate "a deeper awareness of the amazing place we are proud to call home," per a Facebook post.
- While both former legislators are Democrats, Kent said they're committed to producing "completely nonpartisan, straight news."
- "We're not going to be the MSNBC or Fox News of Woodbury," she said.
What's next: The project is in its very early stages, but the hope is to get it up and running by the fall.
- Those interested in learning more can reach out to [email protected].
Related: Minnesota lost 34% of its newspapers since 2005, study shows