Minnesota Newspaper Association

Legislative advocacy: a key part of mna's mission is to advocate with state and sometimes national lawmakers on behalf of members when legislation or rulemaking could effect the business or newsgathering interests of the Minnesota newspapers and their related endeavors. Mna contracts with the cook strong sellwood, and works closely with their personnel, to advocate on issues including public legal notices; government transparency; emerging technologies as they relate to members; and general business matters.

Better Newspaper contest: held annually, mna's better Newspaper contest is an opportunity for member newspapers to compete for recognition in separate professional and student contests judged by news professionals from other state associations. Minnesota's contest one of the largest in the nation drew more than 3,500 entries from mna members in 2022 and more than 600 awards were presented at the mna convention & trade show in january. The contests provide vital professional feedback and peer support for the work of mna members in all aspects of Newspaper and magazine publishing, from classified advertising to photojournalism to online disciplines.

Mna convention & trade show: mna stages a three-day annual conference for members each january. The 2022 convention brought together more than 600 members to participate in high-level sales and news training, seminars and sales activities. The convention, now in its 156th year, included a luncheon address by Minnesota gov. Tim walz, a video address by u.s. sen. amy klobuchar and keynotes from Minnesota twins ceo dave st. peter and emmy award-winning journalist boyd huppert. Professional trainers from around the nation presented two days of training sessions. More than 600 awards were presented at the annual better Newspaper contest awards banquet. A student reception facilitated networking with potential future employers. Fundraising activities including a silent auction, raffle and paddle raise were staged to help support our associated Minnesota news media institute's professional and student training programs.

Legal hotline: Minnesota Newspaper Association provides an opt-in, on-demand legal hotline for member assistance. The hotline is staffed by mark anfinson, a veteran first amendment attorney in Minnesota. Members may use the hotline for pre-publication review of sensitive stories; to gain advice on legal matters pertaining to public records and open meetings; for employment law questions and other legal matters pertaining to mna members.