Renee Passal

Renee is coming up on 21 years of reporting at WDIO this spring. Raised in Virginia, she went to college at the University of Minnesota and graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism. She and her husband Aaron are raising two boys in Duluth, and right now that means shuttling them to soccer fields and birthday parties. And she enjoys curling!

Suggested Topics for Conversations with Renee Passal (WDIO)

  • What a typical day looks like as a reporter at WDIO

  • How you became interested in journalism and news reporting

  • What skills are most important for being a reporter

  • What it’s like to tell stories that matter to local communities

  • How you decide which stories to cover

  • Challenges you’ve faced as a woman in journalism

  • How reporting has changed over the years (technology, social media, 24-hour news)

  • How the Iron Range and surrounding communities have changed during your career

  • The responsibility of reporters in shaping public understanding

  • Advice for students interested in journalism, broadcasting, or storytelling

  • What you enjoy most about working in news

  • What it means to you to be a woman making history in local media