@LindseySeavert is a native Minnesotan and started reporting locally for @WCCO and now reports for @KARE11. She also is a busy mom! :)

Lindsey:    I am all of those things. And I am beginning this Twitterview with a toddler insisting to be on my lap!

Juggling and Tweeting then. :) What made you want to become a storyteller?

Lindsey:    I love to offer people a voice, words come easily and you have the ability to educate, inspire, evoke emotion.

Creation and development are important. Did you have some on-the-job mentors along the way?

Lindsey:    Yes, owe so much to peers who made tv storytelling a craft. @boydhuppert has been an incredible mentor

Being a good storyteller is important, and you also have to know your audience. What do Minnesotans like?

Lindsey:    MNs are a sharp bunch. They don’t tolerate sensationalism, demand quality. We have engaged, educated news consumers

Our viewers see through a weak report and aren’t afaid to tell you. They hold us accountable. We work for the public.

With large cities as well as a large rural area, is balance also important in the types of stories covered?

Lindsey:    Balance is paramount. Have to remember this vast state, avoid being “Cities” centric, and showcase diverse groups.

As a working mom, what kinds of things do you juggle with to get “everything done” each day?

Lindsey:    Voice in my head! Honestly, feel like I come up short often. Story ideas, deadlines, housework, boy and hub to love

Try to remember I’m doing my best. Try to forgive myself. I take longer to return emails, floors aren’t as clean.

Are there any Apps, organizing tools or strategies that you use to help to keep things scheduled?

Lindsey:    No, anyone have suggestions? I use Outlook calendar. My mind used to be enough, but I can’t keep it straight anymore!

Joel:    Thank you very much for your time and comments today for #MNMOtv. When can people see you on @kare11 again?

Lindsey:    Just started my weekend w Fri/Sat off, but I’ll be back Sunday at 10pm. M-Th for 5/6pm. Thank you so much.

Thank you for your thoughtful questions and devotion to the Twitterverse. #MNMOtv Have a beautiful weekend!

Interview took place on April 3,2013.

Hello everyone and @emilyengberg! Today were going to learn about Emily and her work with @TwinCities_Live. Lets begin!

Emily    Hello! @JoelECarlson Thanks for having me!!!

Tell us a little bit about your background to start off with. Where did you grow up and what did you enjoy doing?

Emily:    My hometown of Burlington, IA is a historic town right on the Mississippi River. Lots of time spent on the river.

Loved going to watch the @BurlingtonBees, the minor league baseball team.That’s why I love the @StPaulSaints so much!

Fun fact: My hometown is also known for having the crookedest street in the world.Lombard in San Fran is the curviest

Sounds like a fun time!  So when did you decide to get into TV, and how did you get started?

Emily:    I’ve always known I would work in TV. Have loved it since I was a kid.

I used to convince my classmates to do projects with a TV theme…usually with me anchoring. :)

Even had a “talk show” in middle school during home room called “Yak it up with Emily”.

Went to @ASU‘s Walter Cronkite School and took internships in TV and radio. Got lots of hands on experience.

Then, moved to small market and did every job. Awesome experience that teaches you a lot about yourself and the biz.

Good to know early what you want to do. How did you get started after schooling and when did you start at @kstp?

Emily:    I have a news background. After AZ, worked in IA, IL, WI and have now been here for 3 years. Loving lifestyle tv!

Hard to believe it has been 3 years at @twincities_live. Love coming to work! Never know what I’ll be up to!

Did you connect well right off the bat with @ElizabethRies and the now departed, John Hanson? #GoodChemistry

Emily:    Thank you! @elizabethries and I got along really well right away. Same thing with John. We really are buddies.

We have a hard working group of folks that work on the show and it’s a bonus that we enjoy each other’s company!

I bet it was hard for you and @elizabethries to say #GoodBye to John. Now you’ll get to make a new friend/co-host. :)

Emily:    It was tough to see John go, but @elizabethries and I are happy for him. The search continues for the new co-host!

The new host will have big shoes to fill, but we are excited about what’s to come. Change can be good.

With all of the stunts/traveling that you’ve done for @TwinCities_Live, what have been some of your recent favorites?

Emily:    I have had so many amazing experiences on @twincities_live. I get to try some crazy things.

I’ve hidden in trash cans, dangled from the @GuthrieTheater’s stage, been a goalie for the @Minnesota_Swarm...

I’ve even had knives thrown at me! The list is endless. Scary sometimes, but always memorable.

But I have to say my favorite is meeting all sorts of people in MN. They are so sweet.

The traveling isn’t bad either. Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, Bahamas and Wine Country in May with TCL fans! I’m grateful.

Your personality makes all of it fun to watch. :) When you’re not on TV, what do you like doing in the #TwinCities?

Emily:    Thank you! I laugh a lot. It’s a great gig.

When I’m not working, I love to check out all the great restaurants the cities have to offer.

You can usually find me at a concert or sporting event. We have so much to do here! Never boring.

Are you a crafty, cook or sports minded person?

Emily:    Love sports. Definitely not crafty and you don’t want me to cook. But I’m a lot of fun!!!! :)

Joel:    Thank you so much for your time today! Have fun on @TwinCities_Live, and keep up the good work! :)

Emily:    Thank you!!! Always a pleasure!!! Be sure to watch @twincities_live at 3! Have a great day.

Good morning everyone! It’s snowing in MN, but lets focus on what’s new with @ShayneWellsMSP of @BUZN1029.

Good morning! :) So share us a little bit about your background. Where are you from and how did you get into radio?

Shayne:    Morning! Well more like afternoon when you get up at 4am! I’m a Washington St. native. Came to MN from CA in 2010.

Moved to MN 4 a job as an entertainment reporter at KARE 11. Switched 2 radio, @buzn1029 last May where I do mornings

What made you get into TV/radio, and what’s been the biggest adjustments for you between the 2?

Shayne:    As a kid I was giving weather forecasts 2 my fam. TV news was a passion. As I looked to try a new industry radio..

radio, seemed like the perfect fit. Still broadcasting, lots of fun, interviews, and I love music, always have.

Good to know your passions and have fun on the job! Where does MSP rank for country music markets?

Shayne:    not sure honestly. We’re a good sized city with a ton of country music lovers & we draw the biggest artists & sell out.

Who are some of your favorite country artists, and what are some places you’d recommend fans check out in the TC’s?

That is, places that offer the country music vibe.

Shayne:    I have a ton of faves, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, The Civil Wars, Lady A.

the casinos around here get in some great artists! Plus, you can make a day trip out of it. Win Win.

Any good places you’d recommend for good hats or boots for fans or country music? When’s the next big concert?

Shayne:    RCC Western at the MOA has a lot of options. Also, Cowgirl Tuff at Ridgedale mall.

On your free time, what kinds of things do you enjoy doing? Do you have any favorite restaurants after 3yrs in MN?

Shayne:    I love running, reading and going out to drink and/or eat w/friends. I love the Lowry, Broders, Oceanaire, Brasa, BLG

Joel:    Thanks for you time today on #MNMOtv! Keep up the good work and positive spirit! :)

[Interview conducted on Wed Feb 6,2013]

Good morning everyone! Hopefully you are warm and inside. :) Today’s #MNMOtv guest is @KimInsley of @KARE11. Lets get started!

Kim:    Good morning!

You’ve probably been awake for a few hours already. Do you ever get used to do doing the morning news?

Kim:     You never get used to 1:45am. You just deal with it. (We all do when the alarm goes off, yes?)

I will say, the am news is the most fun– in the sense there is more freedom in a 2hr time frame than 30 min.

That’s true! To get to know you a little better, where did you grow up and what moved you to get into the news business?

Kim:    Grew up in Ashland, OR. Wonderful little town, beautiful area. College town and a theatre town. It is my roots.

I wanted to witness current events. Graduated in journalism – newspaper jobs were scarce, so I turned to TV

It’s been a great opportunity to satisfy my curiosity. I get to witness incredible things.

I bet you do! What areas of the country have you worked in and what’s one of your favorite stories that you’ve covered?

Kim:    Santa Barbara, CA, Portland, OR, Sacramento, CA and the beautiful state of Minnesota!

Fav stories are quirky. One was the 1989 SFO earthquake. Met an elderly woman w/ a 6ft crevice opened near her house

..her big concern was the squirrels had been injured. I like stories where you meet incredible folks of all stripes.

Real people stories off the beaten pat. Those are interesting. When did you come to @KARE11, and what roles have you had?

Kim:    1993 – so it’s been awhile. Job title has never changed. No resume padding for me! Duties have changed w/the business.

The web and social networking are now key to communicating w/”viewers”. We have new ways to move info.

It requires constant training in new tech. and also smart ways to do that. We have so many diff ways to tell a story

Getting info on air: iPhone pics and vid, Skype, Apple TV, Facetime, FTP. The days of driving video to station are gone.

How has the experience of interacting with viewers via social media been going for you? Have you made any friends?

Kim:    Actually, yes. One person has been an inspiration in fitness. Others have become resources for news and community

I don’t go meet folks for coffee, as you have to realized social networking is vast w/people who have many motives.

I need to set a good example for my kids! Still, social networking HUGE in responding to people, connecting

Gone are the days of the deadline being your airtime. The deadline now is as soon as you can confirm the information

With the time that you work, you have a unique schedule. What kinds of things do you like doing when you have time off?

Kim:    Downtime? Not w/kids! I do enjoy whatever workout time I can get. Lately reading by the fireplace. Cooking for sure!

I would love to travel more. I love taking my kids places we’ve never seen.

What are you currently reading, and what kinds of books do interest you? Have you heard of http://www.goodreads.com/?

Kim:    I just finished “Code Verity” — great spy novel in WWII era. Unpredictable. I have too many unfinished books!

Haven’t used http://goodreads.com  Will try! I liked “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed. Also “Under The Tuscan Sun Cookbook”

Have you read “The Swerve: How the World Became Modern” – I love history that takes a deeper look. Another perspective.

I haven’t. You mentioned that you liked to cook. What are your specialties, and where do you like to go when you eat out?

Kim:    Love making soup and pastas. I have a good rigatoni with italian sausage. I’m a Pinterest nut. Great things to try!

Places to eat– haven’t hit the new, hip places in the cities. I know. Sad me. We usually take the family out ..

so visits to Biaggi’s , Spasso. Splurge at Pittsburgh Blue. Will always love Broder’s in SW Mpls.

Joel:    You like your pastas. :) The time went by too quick today, but that’s for being a part of #MNMOtv and sharing some of your life!

Kim:    You are very welcome! Thank you and have a great day!

Jordana Green is a radio host on WCCO AM radio, weeknights from 8pm – 10pm.  Did you know thought that she used to be a news anchor at a Twin Cities television station?

Jordana has a number of stories to tell about herself, her career and her family.  Find out what moved her to get interested in journalism and some of the challenges that she’s faces along the way, including one story that she covered that made her change the focus of the stories that she would cover.  She juggles work and family, and still manages to stay positive and focused on what’s most important to her.

In Part 1 of her 3-part interview,  she talks about how she got interested in journalism from a young age. She talks about how one news story that she covered made her change her focus in reporting. She ends with talking about her start in MN as an anchor.

Part 2 of Jordana’s interview, she talks about how she got involved in working with Paul Douglas of Weather Nation, and then how she landed her current job at WCCO AM radio.

In Part 3 of Jordana’s interview, she answers a few rapid fire questions and then talks about her passion for yoga. She then talks about her experience of raising a family in Minnesota and then ends with sharing what she’d like to accomplish in the next year.

Naomi Pescovitz is a news junkie, she just loves to learn what’s going on in the world by taking in information from all kinds of news sources. But she doesn’t keep it all to herself, she uses her passion and shares what she’s learned with others. Naomi is a reporter at KSTP-TV in the Twin Cities, and she has had her assignment there since late Summer of 2011. Naomi brings an energy and a good spirit to every story that she covers.

So when Naomi is covering a story about weather conditions. A story about a neighborhood or a business, what kinds of things does she enjoy doing? What are her passions in life, and who is her “news idol” when it comes to the national scene?  With 1 year under her belt, does she have any goals for herself as to what she would like to achieve or accomplish in the next year?  Get to learn more about Naomi and what makes her “tick” from a 3-part “Faces of MN” interview with her.

In Part 1 of her her interview, she talks with Joel Carlson about how she decided to become a journalist, and the route she took to get there.

In Part 2 of her interview, Naomi talks about her path to KSTP-TV. She talks about some of the stories that she’s covered in MN and shares how she prepared for a Minnesota winter. Naomi ends in talking about her life as a foodie and what restaurants that she’s tried in the Twin Cities.

In Part 3 of Naomi’s interview, she talks about where she likes to shop in the Twin Cities. Goes through a “rapid fire” round of questions and then talks about what kinds of things she enjoys reading. She shares which national news anchor is her favorite and a story of getting to interviewing them. She then closes with sharing a goal of hers to achieve in the next year.

You may have seen her on the Twin Cities based entertainment show “Twin Cities Live”.  You may have also heard her voice sharing celebrity pop-culture news on MyTalk 107.1 FM with a “Dirt Alert”.  What though are her interests? Who’s “Henry”? What’s it been like being a homeowner for the first time and what’s her decorating style? Find out answers to those questions and more by checking out PART 1 of this interview with Elizabeth Ries.

What kind of cooking does Elizabeth like to do? What’s her favorite dish to make or eat? Hot-n-spicy or mild flavors? Find out her answers by watching PART 2 of her interview.

What are some of the places that Elizabeth has been able to travel to, and where would she still like to go visit? What kind of exercise routine does Elizabeth have? Why does John Hanson tease her about dating? Find out what Elizabeth thinks about the social media platform Pinterest. Find out what Elizabeth thinks by watching PART 3 of her interview.