
Meet Jane Helmke
Jane Helmke is the executive editor for MPR News.
Jane joined MPR in 2022 as Interim Managing Editor and was appointed Executive Editor in November of the same year. She leads a team of journalists, including the enterprise/investigative unit APM Reports, all working to include, inform, and inspire Minnesotans daily.
Before joining MPR News, Jane had a distinguished, decades-long career at NBC affiliate KARE 11 in Minneapolis, one of the nation’s top-rated broadcasting newsrooms, holding various positions from intern to news director. She served on the News Directors' Advisory Committee of NBC News and was a founding officer of the Upper Midwest Emmy Chapter. She also co-created the curriculum for the Emmy class at the University of Minnesota’s Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication and co-authored the first National Awards for Regional Breaking and Investigative Reporting for the National Television Academy.
Over the course of her career, Jane has been honored with several awards, including the Grand Award at the New York International Film Festival, a National American Women in Radio and Television award, multiple regional Emmys, and several other national honors for her news and documentary work.
Jane holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and physical education from Augsburg University, where she graduated cum laude.
Jane grew up playing sports and working summers in the tobacco fields of southern Wisconsin. She mostly roots for Minnesota teams (until they play the Packers or the Badgers).
You can find Jane on LinkedIn.