Meet Star Tribune reporter Abby Simons

Harrison resident Abby Simons oversees the public safety team at the Star Tribune, and works to determine how the state’s largest daily newspaper covers police, courts and prisons. The Star Tribune is read by over 1.4 million metro adults every week.

What drew you to this part of
Minneapolis?
I live in the Harrison neighborhood, which is just north of Bryn Mawr. It’s a nice quiet part of the city and yet has easy access to anywhere I want to go. I don’t frequently drive, so being able to bike and bus anywhere from the neighborhood is so convenient. The parks and trails are also great places to spend time with my dog.

What are you favorite places to [fill in the blanks] in the neighborhood?
Cuppa Java is a jewel, as is Bryn Mawr Market and Bryn Mawr Pizza. In Harrison, Wendy’s House of Soul makes amazing authentic soul food.

What drew you to journalism?
I got into journalism by reporting for my high school newspaper in Iowa, and it stuck with me. I pursued it through college, and in jobs in Missouri, Iowa and now here in Minneapolis. It’s a tough job at times, but it’s never boring. Every day is different and I consider it important work.

Please tell us about your work at the Star Tribune.
I joined the Star Tribune in 2008 as a night police reporter. I then moved to suburban police, then Hennepin County courts, then covering politics at the state capitol before I became a team leader. I now run a team that covers public safety in the Twin Cities, including Minneapolis and St. Paul police, Hennepin County courts and most breaking public safety news.

What challenges does your work at the Star Tribune carry? How do you work through those?
The past two years have been especially challenging following George Floyd’s murder. Along with the constant news that came with it, we had to balance our own emotional well-being as well as taking into account how raw the citizens of Minneapolis felt in the wake of all this. We have at times taken a breather to reassess how we can better do our jobs in a constantly changing landscape.

How have you shifted and evolved as a public safety editor since George Floyd was killed?
A key thing we learned is to not take a police narrative as gospel, after police said George Floyd died from a “medical incident,” when we know that certainly was not the case. Thankfully we had a reporter working around the clock that night who uncovered what really happened so we avoided falling into that trap, but it could have happened. I think our coverage has since been more empathetic and thoughtful, looking into the nature of why things happen rather than just reactive coverage. We’ve also reassessed how we use scanner audio, booking photos and moved away from less jargon-y terms like “suspect” or “discharged weapon.”

What is the value of your work?
Public safety news has always been a point of interest, but the topic and all facets of it has never been to the forefront more than in the past two years since George Floyd’s murder. In addition to how the city addresses police accountability, we are also seeing upticks in crime with a department that is shorthanded and, as a state human rights report detailed, has a culture of widespread racial discrimination. Holding this department accountable and keeping citizens informed is vital, in my opinion, and our team of reporters works hard to do so. I’m proud to work at the Star Tribune, which allows our staff the resources and support to properly do their jobs in an era where a lot of news outlets are struggling. I consider myself lucky to work for a local owner who believes in the power of local news.