Jacob Frey, Liz Collin raise national profile through TV news

When breaking news comes out of Minnesota, the national press turns to familiar faces: Amy Klobuchar, Tom Emmer, Tim Walz, Keith Ellison. But national audiences are being introduced to some other local leaders — ones who were largely unknown outside the state borders before the Jan. 7 ICE shooting of Renee Good.

Now famous for the “F-bomb” heard ‘round the world, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has done more than a dozen high-profile interviews since the shooting for shows ranging from “The CBS Evening News With Tony Dokoupil” to “Fox & Friends.”

National TV outlets are often chasing top officials with local expertise and the ability to be engaging, unscripted and speak off the cuff. That might explain why WCCO radio host Jason DeRusha has popped up so often on CNN.

Ally Peters, communication director for the mayor’s office, said she’s been able to respond to only 15% of the media requests.

“You get completely swamped,” she said.

Fox News tries to coordinate its requests so that producers aren’t inundating the same person at once.

“We try to centralize our efforts so they’re not being pounded by so many of our shows,” said Megan Clarke, senior vice president for booking at Fox News Media. “The noise can overwhelm officials to the point where they throw up their hands and just send out a blanket, ‘No comment.’”

Clarke tells guests new to the cable news world that their profile can rise overnight with requests from across the TV landscape, as well as on podcasts and radio.

“If you are on Fox a couple times, the other networks take notice and start booking them as well,” she said. “It snowballs pretty quickly.”

Here are some Minnesotans who are already feeling the effect of their increased TV presence.

The Minneapolis mayor is no stranger to being in the national media. Peters said so many journalists were contacting her in the aftermath of the Annunciation shootings that her phone stopped working. But Frey’s news conference in which he dropped the “F-bomb” raised his profile considerably, leading to appearances on shows like “Meet the Press” and “Fox & Friends.” Blunt language, smooth delivery and dashing good looks make for good TV.

The broadcaster is well known in the Twin Cities after spending 14 years at WCCO TV and being married to Bob Kroll, the former president of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis. These days, she’s an investigative reporter for Alpha News and producer for documentaries like “The Fall of Minneapolis.” Her conservative leanings, criticism of mainstream media and on-screen experience are key reasons Fox News has used her on shows like “The Ingraham Angle” and “Jesse Watters Primetime.”

TV bookers often search social media to find potential guests. That’s probably how they came across Mohamed, a state senator since 2023. The same passion the Somalia-born politician puts into her Instagram videos has been on display in interviews for CBC, CNN and PBS, even before the tragic events earlier this month. At 28, she offers a youthful perspective, something that’s rare in the world of TV news.

The former Republican governor has had his share of national attention, especially when running for president in 2012. He’s been largely out of the public eye in recent years, but in the last 10 days, he’s popped up on CNN, Fox News and NewsNation. His measured, yet authoritative, takes make you wonder if he’s getting ready to sneak back into the spotlight.