The Backstory from the North Dakota News Cooperative

Local journalism has changed dramatically over the past three decades. Reporters who once edited tape by hand and carried pounds of television equipment can now record, edit and broadcast stories from a smartphone.

In this episode of The Backstory, host Sabrina Halvorson talks with Tom Gerhardt, executive director of Dakota Media Access and a member of the North Dakota News Cooperative’s board of directors. Gerhardt reflects ...

Extreme cold, shifting ice and hundreds of miles without roads or medical resources made crossing Greenland a test of preparation, teamwork and leadership.

In this episode of The Backstory, host Sabrina Halvorson talks with Dr. Jon Solberg, a North Dakota emergency physician who served as the expedition physician for a team traveling across Greenland in specially modified trucks.

“Adventures are so important to keeping us fre...

North Dakota requires 60% voter approval for school bond measures. That threshold recently came into play in both Bismarck and Surrey, where bond proposals received more than 58% support but failed to reach the supermajority needed to pass. In Surrey, the measure fell short by just five votes.

In this episode of The Backstory, NDNC reporter Michael Standaert and host Sabrina Halvorson discuss why school bond measures can receive su...

In part two of this Backstory interview, conservation photographer Mike Forsberg and Andrew Caven of the International Crane Foundation reflect on the North Dakota portion of their completed 2,500-mile bicycle journey from Texas to Canada.

Forsberg describes riding through the Missouri Coteau southeast of Bismarck as moving through a painting, with rolling hills, wildflowers, grazing cattle and calling birds. Caven says the area wa...

A few weeks ago, the North Dakota News Cooperative reported on a 2,500-mile bicycle journey following the migration route of the endangered whooping crane. Now that the ride from Texas to Canada is complete, conservation photographer Mike Forsberg and Andrew Caven of the International Crane Foundation join The Backstory to reflect on what they saw, what they learned and what the journey revealed about the challenges facing whooping...

Changing the clocks twice a year can be disruptive. But would permanent daylight saving time actually be better for North Dakota?

In this episode of The Backstory, host Sabrina Halvorson talks with North Dakota News Cooperative reporter Michael Standaert about the Sunshine Protection Act and what year-round daylight saving time could mean for the state.

“I was a little bit surprised how dark it will be in some of the months i...

In this episode of The Backstory, Sabrina Halvorson talks with NDNC reporter Michael Standaert about Grand Farm, a 600-acre agricultural technology campus near Casselton where companies test new tools under real-world farming conditions.

Grand Farm is currently focused on technologies that could help farmers address herbicide-resistant weeds, including drones, satellite mapping, smart sprayers and small autonomous machines capable ...

In this episode of The Backstory, Sabrina Halvorson talks with North Dakota News Cooperative reporter Michael Standaert about a proposed pig iron processing facility in Minot and what it could mean for the region. The project would reclaim discarded iron ore from northern Minnesota, transport it by rail to North Dakota and process it into pig iron for steel manufacturers across the country.

“It’s just cool to see projec...

What was it like to cover one of the biggest events North Dakota has seen in years?

In this episode of Backstory, NDNC reporter Michael Standaert takes listeners behind the scenes of the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, including President Donald Trump's visit, the intense security, and the atmosphere throughout the community.

"I think Medora was a special place before for a...

North Dakota hit the big leagues of agricultural innovation, but it's stayed quiet until now.

In this episode of The Backstory, Sabrina Halvorson talks with reporter Michael Standaert about how North Dakota quietly secured a position as one of the nation’s premier agricultural technology hubs through a massive federal initiative.

Listen now:

Standaert discusses the National Science Foundation’s backing of the state's A...

In this episode of The Backstory, Sabrina Halvorson talks with Julie Garden-Robinson, NDSU Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist, about the programs helping North Dakotans learn more about food, movement and health at every age.

Garden-Robinson discusses Extension’s Field to Fork program, On the Move to Better Health, Nourish, youth health programs, and the work being done to update nutrition curri...

A federal push for rural wellness is underway, aiming to tackle state health concerns and get North Dakotans moving.

In this episode of The Backstory, host Sabrina Halvorson talks with reporter Michael Standaert about his latest article on the Rural Health Transformation Program and the "Make North Dakota Healthy Again" initiative. The conversation highlights how federal funding is being used for grassroots solutions like community...

Why do so many men struggle in silence before reaching out for help?

In this episode of The Backstory, Melissa Markegard, Suicide Prevention Administrator for North Dakota Health and Human Services, discusses the factors that can increase suicide risk, the warning signs friends and family should recognize, and the role communities can play in supporting mental health before a crisis develops.

"We need you here. No matt...

The latest North Dakota Poll takes a closer look at how residents are responding to major national issues and reveals some notable divides across the state.

In this episode of The Backstory, host Sabrina Halvorson talks with reporter Michael Standaert about the latest North Dakota Poll results, which examine presidential approval ratings along with opinions on issues such as the war in Iran, immigration, and the economy. The conver...

Rising fertilizer and fuel costs are creating ripple effects across North Dakota’s economy, reaching far beyond the farm.

In this episode of The Backstory, reporter Michael Standaert’s latest story looks at how global disruptions, tariffs, and supply chain uncertainty are driving up agricultural costs at a critical time in the planting season.

Sabrina Halvorson speaks with economist John Bitzan of the Challey Institute ...

Family caregiving across North Dakota often happens quietly, but its impact is anything but small.

In this episode of The Backstory, Michael Standaert discusses his reporting on family caregivers and the enormous role they play in helping loved ones remain at home.

The conversation centers on new data that puts a dollar value on work that many families simply consider part of daily life, even as it consumes time, energy, and emotio...

The Bakken oil boom reshaped western North Dakota in ways that are still unfolding today, from strained housing and schools to long-term questions about water safety and community stability.

In this episode of The Backstory, Michael Standaert discusses his reporting on a new book by Sebastian Braun, Bearing the Burden of the Booms: Energy Extraction, Communities and Landscapes on the Plains. Drawing on years of research, the book e...

What happens when you put farmers, ranchers, and ag leaders in a room and just listen?

In this episode of The Backstory, North Dakota News Cooperative CEO Sabrina Halvorson shares what she heard after organizing a four-hour agricultural roundtable at NDSU’s Peltier Center, where producers spoke candidly about the pressures shaping their work and way of life. Reporter Michael Standaert documented the ...