Sahan Journal has received this year’s Columbia Journalism Award for its coverage of Minnesota immigrants and the local response to Operation Metro Surge.

Faculty at the Columbia Journalism School said they chose the nonprofit news outlet for the award for its locally rooted coverage and entrepreneurial mindset.

“Through its deeply reported coverage of immigrant and refugee communities in Minnesota — often stories overlooked by mainstream outlets — Sahan Journal has demonstrated the essential role that community-centered, independent journalism plays in strengthening civic life and broadening whose voices are heard in the public sphere,” Jelani Cobb, dean of the Journalism School, said in his announcement. 

He added that Sahan offers a “powerful example for our students of how a small, entrepreneurial newsroom can produce journalism that truly makes a difference.”

Sahan founder Mukhtar Ibrahim and several past and current staff members, are Columbia graduates.

Sahan is only the third news outlet or program to receive the award in its almost seven-decade history. Past recipients have included journalism legend Walter Cronkite, Philippine journalist Maria Ressa and CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour.

Sahan Executive Director Vanan Murugesan said the award recognizes the hard work of Sahan’s small team of journalists.

“Immigrant and BIPOC communities deserve journalism that serves them — reported with rigor, context, and care. That’s what Sahan Journal was built to do,” he said. “Our journalists show up every day to cover stories that are hard to report and easy to ignore, and this recognition from Columbia is a testament to their commitment to getting it right.”

Director of Editorial Chao Xiong said covering Operation Metro Surge created unprecedented challenges for a small newsroom. “I’m incredibly proud of our small but committed staff who worked tirelessly to cover the immigration operation,” he said.

He also recognized the community members who shared their stories with Sahan staff and readers at a moment of intense risk.

“Our work is possible because of community members welcoming us into their lives, and I know that was especially fraught with fear and trepidation given the political climate.”

Xiong and Vanan will travel to New York to receive the award at a May 19 ceremony.

Sahan Journal is a digital newsroom founded in 2019, and is dedicated to telling the stories of Minnesota’s immigrants and communities of color.