The Crucial Role of Local Journalism in Covering Rapidly Evolving Crises: Lessons from the Minneapolis ICE Raids
In December 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiated Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, Minnesota. By January 7, 2026, when Renée Good was fatally shot by ICE agents, the story had garnered international attention, covered by major news outlets and documented by community members through social media. However, the most comprehensive reporting on the ICE raids and their impact on Minnesota communities came from local newsrooms.
Speaking at an Innovate Local webinar, Minnesota Star Tribune CEO & Publisher Steve Grove emphasized the vital importance of strong local journalism, particularly during crises like the events in Minnesota. He highlighted how a robust local news network, including the Star Tribune, Sahan Journal, Minnesota Public Radio, and the Minnesota Reformer, provided critical coverage.
“We realized very quickly that the conflict and what took place in the streets of our Twin Cities and across the whole state was probably the most documented crisis in American history up to this point,” Grove stated. “We are lucky in Minnesota to have a strong local news network.”
The Power of Community-Based Reporting
Grove underscored the unique advantage of local reporters, who live in the communities they cover, understand local leaders and residents, and possess intimate knowledge of the area. This deep connection allows for more nuanced and impactful reporting than national news organizations can typically provide.
“All of our reporters live in the communities they report on, and they care about those communities. They know their leaders, they know their neighbors, they know the intersections, the streets, the neighborhoods. So the reporting they’re able to do is just so much stronger than if we simply rely on national news organizations to kind of swoop in and cover a crisis.”
Key Learnings for Local News Publishers
When a major story breaks, local news publishers face unique challenges, and opportunities. The Minnesota Star Tribune’s experience during Operation Metro Surge offers three key lessons:
1. Cutting Through the Noise
With the story of the ICE raids extensively documented, the Star Tribune focused on product strategy to stand out. This included a functional live blog, high-quality images, and the ability to embed vertical video. The newspaper had recently revamped its website and adopted a novel product strategy.
“You need to have a live blog that works, you need to have good images, you need to have the ability to embed vertical video. We have a far better digital front end than we had even a few years ago,” Grove explained. “Part of it is presentation, part of it is having a good audience team… But then part of it is just the coverage. Nothing wins the day like breaking a story.”
2. Prioritizing Journalist Safety
Drawing on experience covering the 2020 civil unrest following the death of George Floyd, the Star Tribune prioritized journalist safety. This included refresher training on reporting in crisis situations, navigating tear gas, and utilizing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). The newspaper also invested in cybersecurity and online security measures to protect reporters from online harassment and doxing.
“Safety of journalists today doesn’t just mean in the streets, it means online, and we had a lot of our reporters face attacks every day from those who criticize their work, and so creating a sense of protocol and some tools that help prevent doxing and prevent the challenges journalists face online.”
3. Leveraging the Spotlight for Community Engagement
The Star Tribune launched the “Because the world is watching” initiative to capitalize on the increased attention. This included a news literacy program in partnership with the News Literacy Project, providing free subscriptions to the Star Tribune to all Minnesota high school students, and a fundraising campaign to support local journalism.
“Our campaign name felt like the most natural response to the questions: why would you pay attention to the Strib, why would you provide money to it, why would you subscribe? The answer is, the world is watching Minnesota. We need to deliver.”
The Impact of Intimate Community Connection
Grove emphasized the profound impact of the crisis on the Star Tribune’s newsroom and the community it serves. He noted the importance of objectivity in reporting while acknowledging the personal connections between journalists and the affected communities.
“There’s not a person in our newsroom or in our news organization who wasn’t personally affected in some way. The passion that our neighbors, leaders and activists and law enforcement all perceive… is palpable.”
Despite the challenges of accessing information from ICE agents, the Star Tribune remained committed to reporting the truth and providing comprehensive coverage of the events unfolding in Minneapolis.