At Project Optimist (formerly The Optimist) we value creativity, community agency, transparency and ethics, and equity.

We believe creativity helps solve problems, spur connection, and lift spirits. We see community agency as key to combating polarization and other big challenges of the day. Our community drives our coverage. We strive to always conduct ourselves with transparency and in an ethical manner, in accordance with the Society of Professional Journalists' standards. And we center equity in our journalism and our organization to begin to rewrite the historical lack of representation and inclusivity in traditional, American newsrooms. 

We’re inspired by nonprofit newsrooms, solution-focused journalists, generative community organizers and so many others taking on the challenges in media and society. We’re also inspired by Minnesota’s beautiful landscapes and the problem solvers and creatives who live here.

Project Optimist likes to pair inspiration with information. Our journalism is fact-based and fact-checked. It’s produced to be clear, to be practical, and to spark curiosity.

Project Optimist is a proud member of the Tiny News Collective accelerator program. The Tiny News Collective is our fiscal sponsor.

Mission and vision statement

Project Optimist strives to engage residents of greater Minnesota to help them collaborate across common divides, tackle seemingly intractable problems and grow more optimistic about the future of their communities, region and world.

Project Optimist does this by tapping Minnesota’s creative and independent talent to produce solution-focused stories and local art to inform and inspire. We provide training and spur conversations in support of media literacy, community problem solving, community journalism and democracy.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Ethics policy

Project Optimist follows the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. In all of our work we seek truth and report it (including nuances and complexity), strive to minimize harm, act independently and hold ourselves to high standards of accountability and transparency.