ABOUT US
The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell. We’re in the halls of government tracking what elected officials are up to — and monitoring the powerful forces trying to influence them. But we’re also on the streets, at the bars and parks, on farms and in warehouses, telling you stories of the people being affected by the actions of government and big business. And we’re free. No ads. No paywall. The Minnesota Reformer and its articles, graphics, and commentary are also free to republish. In fact, we welcome and encourage it. Please adhere to some simple guidelines, and let us know if you republish our stories.
Freelance submissions: The Reformer is not currently commissioning freelance feature stories, although we are publishing guest commentaries.
The Reformer publishes guest commentaries about issues of interest to Minnesota. Here are our guidelines to publishing a guest commentary.
Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.
Minnesota Reformer retains editorial independence.
J. Patrick Coolican
Editor-in-Chief
J. Patrick Coolican is Editor-in-Chief of Minnesota Reformer. Previously, he was a Capitol reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune for five years, after a Knight-Wallace Fellowship at the University of Michigan and time at the Las Vegas Sun, Seattle Times and a few other stops along the way. He lives in St. Paul with his wife and two young children.
Max Nesterak
Deputy Editor
Max Nesterak is Deputy Editor of the Reformer and reports on urban policy, economics and labor. Most recently he was associate producer for MPR’s Morning Edition after a stint at National Public Radio. He also co-founded the behavioralscientist.org and was a Fulbright Scholar to Berlin, Germany.
Christopher Ingraham
Senior Reporter
Christopher Ingraham covers greater Minnesota and reports on data-driven stories across the state. He's the author of the book "If You Lived Here You'd Be Home By Now," about his family's journey from the Baltimore suburbs to rural northwest Minnesota. He was previously a data reporter for the Washington Post.
Deena Winter
Senior Reporter
Deena Winter has covered local and state government in four states over the past three decades, with stints at the Bismarck Tribune in North Dakota, as a correspondent for the Denver Post, city hall reporter in Lincoln, Nebraska, and regional editor for Southwest News in the western Minneapolis suburbs. Before joining the staff of the Reformer in 2021 she was a contributor to the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. She and her husband have a daughter, son, and very grand child. In her spare time, she likes to play tennis, jog, garden and attempt to check out all the best restaurants in the metro area.
Michelle Griffith
Reporter
Michelle Griffith covers Minnesota politics and policy for the Reformer, with a focus on marginalized communities. Most recently she was a reporter with The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead in North Dakota where she covered state and local government and Indigenous issues. For two years she was also a corps member with Report for America, a national nonprofit that places journalists in local newsrooms and news deserts.
Madison McVan
Reporter
Madison McVan is a reporter covering economic mobility for the Minnesota Reformer. Prior to joining the Reformer, she wrote about labor and environmental issues in the agriculture industry for Investigate Midwest. She's moved to the Twin Cities in 2020 after graduating from the University of Missouri with degrees in Journalism and Latin American Studies.