Immigration was one of the most vitriolic issues of the 2024 election campaign. In a powerful counterpoint, Giovanna Dell’Orto and Jessie Wardarski crafted an evocative, resonant all-formats portrait of Worthington, Minnesota. It used to be an overwhelmingly white farm town, but it has since been transformed by waves of immigrants from Southeast Asia, East Africa and Central America who now make up a majority of the population.
Most lifelong residents are proud of Worthington’s cosmopolitan flair and thriving economy, but — as the AP team reported — dramatic change has come with significant challenges and costs.
Access and developing sources among local leaders still stinging from prior news coverage they found overly negative were keys to the illuminating, uplifting package. AP was able to get candid, thoughtful input from the mayor, school superintendent, police chief, pastors of the town’s diverse faiths and others. The package included two videos by Wardarski, and two photo galleries — one featuring Worthington’s diverse churches, the other a Then&Now selection of historical and present-day photos of Worthington.
Numerous major news outlets picked up some or all of the package, including Minnesota’s largest newspaper, and won this praise from a city council member on his Facebook page: “It features many aspects, many faces, many sides. It features COMMUNITY! Please read it, enjoy it, and embrace it, Together we are all better as one.”
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