Welcome to the True North News Alliance
True North is a statewide alliance working to strengthen community-centered civic information and local news across Minnesota. The alliance brings together journalists, community leaders, media organizations, advocates, and partners who share a belief that access to trustworthy local information is essential to a healthy democracy and thriving communities.
This work is intentionally statewide. While Minnesota's communities differ by geography, culture, and media landscape, the challenges facing local news are deeply interconnected. When communities lose access to reliable, local information, civic participation declines, trust erodes, and public safety and accountability suffer. True North exists to create a shared advocacy space where both similarities and differences can inform stronger, more durable solutions.
True North is collaborative, action-oriented, and grounded in public impact. Members are expected to engage in good faith, contribute their perspectives and expertise, and participate in shaping policy and strategy that can move beyond individual organizational interests toward shared outcomes for Minnesotans.
Why This Alliance Exists
Local news and civic information systems across Minnesota are under strain. Newsrooms are shrinking, coverage gaps are growing, and communities are losing reliable access to information about local government, public services, and community life.
These challenges are not theoretical. They were raised consistently by journalists, community members, funders, and civic partners during our eight listening sessions held across the state – from Greater Minnesota to the Twin Cities metro. While the specifics varied by region, the underlying message was the same: the current systems are not built to sustain community-centered journalism over the long term.
Participants identified structural problems that no single newsroom, nonprofit, or institution alone can solve. These include limited business models, strained workforce pipelines, lack of shared infrastructure, and insufficient public investment in civic information as a public good.
Our Approach: Collective Action
True North exists because coordinated, collective action across local news mediums is necessary. By aligning across sectors and regions, the alliance is positioned to address root causes rather than symptoms. We are dedicated to advancing policy solutions that reflect lived experience, not just theories. We believe local news is a public good, and our mission is to help secure the future of local news through policy, funding and shared infrastructure.
Who We Serve
Our work is guided by community need, not institutional prestige or market size. We exist to strengthen Minnesota's local news and civic information ecosystem for the benefit of:
- Communities experiencing diminished or inequitable access to local information.
- Local and community-based news organizations navigating structural instability.
- Residents, businesses, and professionals who rely on trusted information to participate in civic life.
What "True North" Means
"True North" is not a brand or an ideology. It is a directional commitment.
For this alliance, "True North" represents staying oriented toward community needs, public benefit, and long-term systems change, even as strategies evolve and conditions shift. It is a shared reference point that helps guide decisions when tradeoffs arise or consensus is difficult.
Being oriented toward "True North" means centering equity in both process and outcomes, recognizing that communities experience information gaps differently and that those closest to those gaps must help shape the solutions. It means building trust through transparency, clear expectations, and accountability to one another. And it means prioritizing sustainability – not just for organizations, but for the ecosystems that support our civic life.
As the work of the alliance evolves, "True North" serves as a reminder of why this effort exists and who it is ultimately for: Minnesota communities that deserve access to reliable, relevant, and community-centered information.
Our Values
True North is grounded in the belief that access to reliable, community-centered information is essential civic infrastructure. Our values guide how we make decisions, share power, and move work forward.
Collaboration
We prioritize collaboration over complacency, sharing information early and building trust through good-faith engagement. We recognize that different media models, missions, and ideologies can coexist within shared policy goals.
Equity
Equity is a practice, not a statement. We center voices historically excluded from decision-making and actively address power imbalances across race, geography, and outlet size.
Innovation
We embrace forward-looking solutions, experimentation and creative problem-solving to build a resilient media ecosystem. We view challenges as opportunities to test new approaches.
Sustainability
We prioritize durable, long-term public infrastructure over short-term wins. We balance urgency with feasibility and plan beyond a single legislative session toward multi-year impact.
Transparency
We build trust and accountability by clearly documenting decisions and sharing rationales. We name constraints, tradeoffs, and disagreements rather than obscuring them.