MSU Mankato Celebrates 100 Years of The Reporter
By Amy Zents
MANKATO, Minn. — Minnesota State University, Mankato, celebrated the centennial of its student newspaper, The Reporter.
The event focused on the publication’s role in preserving campus history and fostering civic discourse. More than 3,500 local newspapers have closed nationwide in the past two decades.
President Edward Inch opened the recent event by urging current student journalists to uphold high standards.
“Set the bar so a hundred years from now, the people talking here will be so proud of what it is you’ve done,” Inch said.
Founded in 1926, The Reporter has chronicled MSU Mankato’s evolution through the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars, and key campus moments including a visit by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The paper has repeatedly won awards from the Minnesota Newspaper Association in open competition with professional outlets.
Acting Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Brian Jones, Ed.D., credited his early work on The Reporter — including collaborations with the Mankato Free Press — with building skills in critical thinking, ethical reporting and community engagement that shaped his leadership career.
Brian Zins, director of alumni relations, described the newspaper as “enduring connective tissue” linking more than 140,000 living MSU Mankato graduates across generations and strengthening institutional loyalty.
Editor-in-Chief Anahí Zúñiga, who joined as a reserved freshman in fall 2023, said the newsroom transformed her into a confident leader.
“When you go to The Reporter, you find your people,” Zúñiga said.
University leaders described The Reporter as a counter to unverified digital content, training informed citizens and safeguarding an accurate historical record for Minnesota’s largest state university system.
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