CORRECTION: We recorded this interview on a Friday afternoon. The following Saturday morning Kathleen reached out to me and asked me to correct the record. At 57:15:41 she says "81st Airborne" when she meant the 82nd. The fact that she remembered this the detail in the early weekend morning speaks a lot to her commitment to getting the details right. Thanks Kathleen!In this episode, I sit down with Kathleen Hennessy, the Managing Editor of the Star Tribune, to talk about how news is actually made in Minnesota. Kathleen has worked everywhere from the Associated Press to The New York Times, and now helps run the largest newsroom in the Upper Midwest.We talk about who really holds influence inside a modern newsroom, how breaking-news decisions happen, the difference between transparency and anonymity, and why Minnesota struggles to have hard public conversations. Kathleen also walks me through the morning of the Melissa Hortman shooting and how the Star Tribune mobilizes behind the scenes at moments when the state is watching.CHAPTERS00:00 — Why Kathleen Hennessy came to the Star Tribune01:40 — How newsroom leadership and ownership actually work04:10 — Covering power in Minnesota: business, politics, and influence07:22 — Inside the newsroom during breaking news12:03 — The morning of the Hortman assassination16:02 — How stories get written now (live blogs vs. traditional reporting)20:00 — Minnesota’s relationship with hard conversations24:15 — Guns, politics, and generational echoes30:57 — Journalism vs. creators: authenticity and independence37:04 — How the Star Tribune decides what gets covered49:42 — What content actually converts subscribers51:48 — Why and when they use anonymous sources