MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Star Tribune today named Kathleen Hennessey as its next Editor and Senior Vice President. Hennessey joins the media platform after spending the past three years at The New York Times as a Deputy Politics Editor.
“I’m honored to get the chance to lead such an extraordinary newsroom and to do it in a place I love,” said Hennessey. “Minnesotans are sophisticated, voracious consumers of news. I'm excited to help find fresh ways to meet their high standards. There’s no better job in journalism.”
Kathleen brings a breadth of reporting and editing chops to the Strib. She spent much of her career in Washington, where she covered politics, Congress and the Obama White House, initially for the Tribune newspapers and then for the Associated Press. Kathleen began her editing career in 2016 as AP's White House Editor and was quickly elevated to Deputy Washington Chief, playing a key role in leading the global news service's coverage of the first Trump administration.
But Hennessey is not a typical creature of Washington. She has reported from statehouses in Sacramento and Carson City, and written about brothels, casinos and the beauty pageants from Las Vegas. As an editor, she pushed for deeper coverage of voters and the political currents coursing far from the Beltway. The work eventually allowed her to move back to Minnesota, where, before joining the Times, she led a national team of AP political reporters who lived in the communities they covered.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Kathleen into the Strib to lead our newsroom at an urgent time in local journalism,” said Steve Grove, Publisher and Chief Executive Officer of the Minnesota Star Tribune. “Kathleen brings an innovative mindset and fearless drive to covering and presenting the news, and is well-positioned to grow our impact and vision to be a leading model for local news in America.”
She holds a master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Boston College, where she graduated cum laude in the University Honors Program.
Kathleen, her husband, Bill Carroll, and their three boys live in Minneapolis – much to the dismay of her extended family, whose roots run deep in St. Paul. Her grandfather, Thomas Byrne, served as the city's mayor in the late 1960s. Kathleen grew up in Highland Park, graduated from Cretin-Derham Hall High School and spent her summers swimming in the St. Croix River.
Hennessey’s first day with the Minnesota Star Tribune will be Monday, May 12.
This hire continues a series of strategic leadership role developments at the Minnesota Star Tribune including a Chief Product Officer, a new Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Communications and Brand Marketing, a Senior Vice President of Consumer Growth, a new Opinion Editor and Vice President, and a new Vice President of Philanthropy.
About The Minnesota Star Tribune
The Minnesota Star Tribune is an innovative modern media organization building on an extraordinary 157-year legacy. With seven Pulitzer Prizes and hundreds of other awards, the Minnesota Star Tribune boasts the Midwest’s largest news organization and is an unrivaled force for journalistic excellence in Minnesota and beyond. As the heart and voice of the north, the Minnesota Star Tribune is on a journey to create the leading model for local news in America – driving innovation in media to make every Minnesotan’s life better. For more information, visit www.startribunecompany.com.
-- Press release
