Grant supports Minnesota Public Radio-led newsroom to strengthen reporting and collaboration across the region.
Washington, D.C. (October 30, 2025) — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) today announced a grant of $1,156,279 to establish the Upper Midwest Newsroom, a regional journalism collaboration led by Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) with partners Prairie Public Broadcasting (North Dakota), South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB), and Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR).
The Upper Midwest Newsroom will expand local and regional news coverage, produce collaborative reporting, and increase editorial capacity across the partner stations. Together, these organizations will deepen coverage of issues that shape life across the Upper Midwest — from economic and environmental challenges to agriculture, tribal affairs, and community resilience.
Under the grant, two editors will oversee a team of four reporters, each based at one of the partner stations, including an experienced beat reporter at MPR News dedicated to covering issues related to tribal communities throughout the region.
“This collaboration strengthens trusted local journalism and builds regional capacity to cover the stories that matter most to people across the Upper Midwest,” said Kathy Merritt, COO of CPB. “By combining resources, experience, and a shared public service mission, these stations will deliver reporting that reflects the voices and values of the communities they serve.”
The Upper Midwest Newsroom will also serve as a new NPR regional news hub, connecting local public media journalists with national coverage and shared editorial support. The initiative aligns with CPB’s longstanding commitment to journalism, collaboration, and service to rural and underserved communities, ensuring that audiences across the region have access to trusted, local news and information.
“We deeply appreciate this investment in a vital public service,” said Duchesne Drew, president of Minnesota Public Radio. “At a time when federal support for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been rescinded, this partnership underscores how critical public media remains to the communities we serve. This grant allows journalists across the Upper Midwest to collaborate and continue providing the reliable, local reporting that sustains informed and connected communities.”
This announcement comes as CPB enters the wind-down of its operations following Congress’s rescission of all CPB funding. Despite this unprecedented action, which resulted in the loss of seventy percent of its staff, CPB continues to fulfill its responsibilities as the steward of federal funds and is working diligently to provide essential resources to the public media system in its time of greatest need.
About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967. It has helped support the operations of more than 1,500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is the largest single source of funding for public radio, television, and related online and mobile services. With the rescission of federal funds for FY 2026 and FY 2027, CPB is in the process of winding down operations. For more information, visit www.cpb.org and follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn.
