Rare Air: Breakfast with Steve Grove Last Friday

Sometimes timing adds extra value to a meeting. The cultural upheaval in Minnesota created a poignant backdrop for my conversation with the CEO and Publisher of the Minnesota Star Tribune, Steve Grove. He was the speaker at the Good Leadership Breakfast last Friday.

Why was it rare air?

Back in 2025, I learned that Steve Grove had written a book: How I Found Myself in the Midwest. I was keenly interested in how a Google and YouTube executive could return to Minnesota to work in state government and then find his way to the Star Tribune. And I thought his perspective on leading a media organization in the modern context would get our 2026 spring season off to a good start!

Then, within 60 days of his upcoming breakfast appearance, the world went topsy turvy.

The Star Tribune was beaming their coverage of Operation Metro Surge far and wide. “The ICE events of the past 60 days in Minnesota is the most widely covered event in the history of our country,” he shared. “Not because of our coverage,” he continued. “It was the thousands of people in the streets recording what was happening with video on their phones.”

Steve artfully and pointedly shared how local journalism – a pillar of a free and democratic society – is being systematically dismantled. “Will the Star Tribune survive?” I asked. “I don’t know,” he replied with honesty. “Here’s what we’re facing:

• 75% of local journalists have gone away in the last two years.
• 92% of people say they do not think they should pay for local news.

Today most people think the news should find us. That belief shifts power away from trustworthy local reporting. Operation Metro Surge drew eyeballs to TV and social media largely because of the millions of iPhone videos citizens on the street used to document what they saw. In some ways, that reinforces the crisis in local media.”

Swift, clear and brave

But like any good leader, he has a strategy. He and his colleagues at the Star Tribune know what they have to do to create a sustainable Star Tribune. “We know we need to reinvent how we think about the value we provide to society,” he declared. “Subscriptions to the old printed paper are dropping 20% every year. And it’s probably never coming back. What you saw during Operation Metro Surge was us living our mantra: Be swift, be clear, and be brave.” He explained:

• Be swift. Stay proactive – because the truth spreads slower than stuff people make up.
• Be clear. Keep talking through uncomfortable moments – because when responsible journalism declines, community problem solving weakens – that’s how accurate local information matters.
• Be brave. Try things you have never tried before. Accept discomfort because we have to be in the mix – even if that means being on the street in the middle of the protests.

One guest who was in the audience last Friday shared on LinkedIn: “If anyone can figure it out, it’s Steve Grove.”

Good news

Steve shared how the free blogs covering the Metro Surge, resulted in a 40% boost in online subscriptions from people outside of Minnesota. Reinvention is no longer optional. Everyone is rethinking how they deliver value and it’s starting to create new hope. That’s good leadership.

Want to learn more and help? Subscribe to the Star Tribune and buy Steve’s book.