Ben Austin

REGIONAL— There’s a new face in the Timberjay’s newsroom. Ben Austin, a recent graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., hit the ground running this past week on a wide-ranging beat focused on local government.
Ben was one of 78 journalists from around the country selected by Report for America as part of its initiative to build long-term sustainability for news organizations. Ben was selected from a highly competitive pool of more than 1,600 applicants, ensuring top talent for the 73 newsrooms that will welcome these reporters. Report for America’s newsroom partners go through an equally competitive process each year. The organization funds half of the salary of the new reporter for the first year and a quarter of the salary in the second year.
“These journalists represent hope: a new generation committed to local news reporting that helps people better understand their communities and one another,” said Kim Kleman, executive director at Report for America. “Our model is designed not only to place talented reporters where they are needed most, but also to deepen community trust and build a more sustainable future for local news.”
Ben’s beat will include both local and regional reporting, and his arrival will allow the Timberjay to expand its regular city council coverage to Babbitt, a community that the paper has been unable to cover on a regular basis in the past. Ben will also be covering both the Ely and St. Louis County school districts, as well as the St. Louis County Board and the St. Louis County Planning Commission, among other governmental entities.
Ben, who grew up in Duluth, knows northeastern Minnesota well and is an avid outdoors enthusiast. During his time at American University, he earned a BA in journalism and a minor in data science. During his college career, Ben served as a writer, editor, and photographer for the American Way of Life, the student newspaper there, completing investigative stories, photo essays, and multi-media projects. He also served a five-month internship at the Natural Resources Research Institute in Duluth, where he interviewed, photographed, and wrote about the researchers working at the UMD-affiliated center.
“We’ve only had Ben here for a little over a week, but we’ve already been incredibly impressed by his curiosity, his writing ability, and his photography,” said Timberjay Publisher Marshall Helmberger. “We’re incredibly excited to have Ben on our staff and believe he is going to have a real impact here. Our readers are going to benefit greatly from his arrival.”