From federal funding cuts to fast-moving tech, the media landscape is shifting rapidly. At the 2025 Minnesota Meeting, we explored how communities are working together to ensure our news ecosystem continues to thrive. Explore our event videos and resources.
We’re grateful to the local and national leaders who shared their perspectives on today’s challenges and opportunities.
Public media is under fire. KAXE, like many local stations, is confronting a triple threat: Federal funding cuts, state-level reductions, and unexpected operational costs—all converging at once. In this video, we explore what these cuts mean for KAXE and the future of public media in rural Minnesota.
Congress has rescinded more than $1.1 billion in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, forcing a shutdown of the agency that has supported public media for decades. This, combined with state funding cuts and unexpected costs, puts the future of Lakeland PBS—and public media across Minnesota—at serious risk.
The 2025 Minnesota Meeting dug into how young people are reshaping news consumption—favoring social media, influencers, and nontraditional platforms over legacy outlets. What does this shift mean for the future of journalism?
Our speakers cited a variety of reports, articles, and research. Here are some of the key resources they shared.
Meg Martin shared data from the Minnesota Journalism Center, including a recent report that maps Minnesota’s news landscape.
Press Forward Minnesota and Corona Insights fielded a survey to better understand what Minnesotans care about when it comes to state and local news.
This Star Tribune article explores how federal funding cuts will affect tribal and rural radio stations.
Research from the Neiman Journalism Lab digs into how news consumption habits have changed across the globe.
Here are a few next steps to consider as you look to support a thriving news ecosystem in Minnesota:
Last year, our fundholders contributed nearly $1 million to news organizations across the state. Keep it up! Whether or not you have a fund at the Minneapolis Foundation, you can support the news organizations you rely on.
