The Minnesota Star Tribune today announced several enhancements to its Strib Voices platform — the Strib’s reimagined hub for opinion content from across Minnesota. These exciting changes come under the leadership of award-winning editorial writer and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Phillip Morris.
“At a time when many media platforms are cutting back or shying away from opinion journalism, Strib Voices is going in a very different direction,” said Phil Morris, vice president and opinion editor for the Minnesota Star Tribune. “We’re excited to welcome Aaron to our Editorial Board and look forward to hearing his unique perspective and Greater Minnesota insights on the topics that are shaping Minnesota culture.”
The latest round of updates to the Strib Voices roster includes:
Aaron Brown joins the Strib Voices Editorial Board. A 6th generation Iron Ranger, Brown is a columnist, author of books and essays, former host of a traveling radio show called the Great Northern Radio show and a communication instructor at Minnesota North College in Hibbing. He was raised in a trailer house on a local junkyard and is the first in five generations of his family to never work in an iron mine. He lives down a dirt road on the western Mesabi with his wife and three sons. Read Aaron’s intro column here.
Rochelle Olson becomes editorial writer and columnist focusing on state government. Olson has covered St. Paul and Minneapolis City Halls, Ramsey and Hennepin county governments, as well as courts and state government. Before joining the Star Tribune in 2000, Olson worked for eight years with The Associated Press in Kansas City; Topeka; Charleston, West Virginia; and St. Paul.
David Banks becomes commentary editor. Banks has been involved with various aspects of the opinion pages and their online counterparts since 2005. Before that, he was primarily involved with the editing and production of local coverage. He joined the Star Tribune in 1994.
Denise Johnson to retire. Johnson has been an editorial writer at the Minnesota Star Tribune since 1996. Before joining the editorial board, she was a reporter, editor, columnist and editorial writer at the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and wrote editorials for the Miami Herald. Tribune, Johnson’s last day will be April 7.
“Denise has long embodied the best attributes of an editorial writer, namely a keen sense of good judgement, a grasp of local history and a willingness to ask tough questions,” said Morris. “She will be missed.”
Strib Voices seeks Opinion Audience Editor. To add to its growing Strib Voices roster, the Minnesota Star Tribune is seeking an audience editor who can help drive audience growth and engagement across multiple platforms for its award-winning commentary coverage. The audience editor will be a member of the Minnesota Star Tribune Editorial Board and is responsible for developing strategy for digital storytelling while advancing innovative ways to connect journalism with new audiences. Interested applicants can apply here.
Momentum is building for Strib Voices. These are just the latest moves the Minnesota Star Tribune has taken to revitalize its approach to commentary and editorials under its reimagined opinion platform, Strib Voices. In 2024, Kavita Kumar was named community engagement director, installing a roster of 11 new contributing columnists. And Phil Morris joined the media outlet as opinion editor and vice president last summer.
Additional enhancements to the Strib Voices platform will be announced in the near future.
About The Minnesota Star Tribune:
The Minnesota Star Tribune is an innovative modern media organization building on an extraordinary 157-year legacy. With seven Pulitzer Prizes and hundreds of other awards, the Minnesota Star Tribune boasts the Midwest’s largest news organization and is an unrivaled force for journalistic excellence in Minnesota and beyond. As the heart and voice of the north, the Minnesota Star Tribune is on a journey to create the leading model for local news in America — driving innovation in media to make every Minnesotan’s life better. For more information, visit www.startribunecompany.com.
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