Meet Jon Collins
My beat is covering the future of public safety from Minneapolis, which has been the epicenter of discussions around policing and alternatives to policing since George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.
I try to tell stories about how policies and systems affect people’s lives. I want people’s experiences to be at the center of the stories I write. Our Race, Class and Communities desk at MPR News is dedicated to expanding the stories told by journalists about what it means to be indigenous, working class or a person of color in Minnesota. Our goal is not only to point out that disparities exist, but to tell our audience how they were created and what systems or policies are perpetuating them.
A free press is critical to a healthy and functioning democracy because it holds powerful figures and institutions accountable to the public. But journalists have a responsibility to build trust with the people who share their stories with us and with our audience. We’ll try to help people understand our role by telling you how and why we do our jobs. I’m a big fan of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, which instructs journalists to seek truth and report it, minimize harm and act independently.
Tell me what I don't know!
Twitter: @jonscollins | Email: jon.collins@mpr.org | Phone: (651) 290-1429 (contact me securely on Signal)
Recent Contributions
- Minneapolis City Council asks public to weigh in on police union contract
- Reform, accountability become tug toy in proposed Minneapolis Police contract
- ‘Joe was a living legend‘: Longtime criminal defense attorney Joe Friedberg dies at 87
- Wellness programs aim to support police officers through stressful work
- 'God needed a hero': Mourners honor the life of officer Jamal Mitchell
- Here are a few items in the proposed contract between Minneapolis and the police union
- Minneapolis incident report details chaotic, quickly moving shooting scene
- Ricky Cobb II family criticizes Moriarty’s decision to drop charges against Londregan
- Chaotic south Minneapolis shooting leaves at least 3 dead including officer, suspect
- Court docs reveal evidence MPD ‘coached’ officers involved in serious misconduct