As a young journalist, Mukhtar M. Ibrahim wanted to work in a news organization where a diverse team of reporters produced accurate stories about immigrants in Minnesota. A place that paid attention to often overlooked communities, like his own, and responded to their news needs and their voices.
In the summer of 2019, he realized the best way—perhaps the only way—to achieve that would be to start his own nonprofit newsroom. That’s the origin story for Sahan Journal.
This month, Mukhtar and the Sahan team are excited to release the organization’s first impact report. This report tells the story of what this unique news operation has accomplished so far. And it gives Sahan Journal the opportunity to thank the members, funders, advertisers, and—above all—the readers who signed on to help build Sahan Journal—before anyone really knew what it might become.
Sahan Journal has covered some of the most difficult events in recent memory, from the killing of George Floyd to the devastation of the COVID pandemic. We’ve also been able to report empowering stories about how immigrants and people of color are defining the future of Minnesota, through achievements in education, government, health, arts, business, and more.
It’s been amazing to be able to document that experience every day through our journalism. Please share your thoughts and feedback about this report with our managing director for development and operations, Dawn M. Flinsch (dflinsch@sahanjournal.com).
We’re grateful for all the support that you’ll see featured in this impact report. And we’re already looking forward to the progress and growth we’ll be able to share in next year’s version.
