Meet Jane Helmke

Jane Helmke is the executive editor for MPR News.

Jane holds a B.A. from Augsburg University, where she graduated cum laude with a major in Communications and Physical Education. Jane joined MPR in 2022 as Interim Managing Editor and was appointed Executive Editor in November of the same year. She leads a team of journalists, including the enterprise/investigative unit APM Reports, all working to include, inform, and inspire Minnesotans daily. 

Prior to MPR, Jane had a distinguished, decades-long career at NBC affiliate KARE 11 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, one of the nation’s top-rated broadcasting newsrooms, holding various positions from Intern to News Director. She served on the News Directors' Advisory Committee of NBC News and was a founding officer of the University of Minnesota's Emmy Chapter. She is also a co-creator of the University of Minnesota School of Broadcast Journalism Emmy Class curriculum and co-authored the first National Awards for Regional Breaking and Investigative Reporting for the National Television Academy.  

Over the course of her career Jane has been honored with several awards, including the Grand Award at the New York International Film Festival, a National American Women in Radio and Television award, multiple regional Emmys, and several other national honors for her news and documentary work. 

Jane grew up playing sports and working summers in the tobacco fields of southern Wisconsin. She mostly roots for Minnesota teams (until they play the Packers or the Badgers).