Racket

Racket is a writer-owned, reader-funded digital news outlet serving the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area. Founded in 2021 by four former editors of the late alternative weekly City Pages—Jessica Armbruster, Jay Boller, Em Cassel, and Keith Harris—the site was created to preserve the spirit of independent, irreverent local journalism after the closure of the long-running alt-weekly. Racket positions itself as a direct continuation of that tradition, adapted for a digital, subscription-supported era.

Editorially, Racket blends civic reporting with culture coverage, producing stories on local politics, housing, labor, criminal justice, food, music, and neighborhood life. Its tone is conversational and often sharp, balancing accountability reporting with humor and personality. The publication embraces the sensibility of an alternative weekly—skeptical of power, deeply local, and engaged with arts and nightlife—while operating without the print advertising model that once sustained such outlets.

Racket operates with a small core team of co-owners who both manage and contribute editorial content, supported by freelancers and contributors from the community. Revenue comes primarily from reader memberships, reflecting its commitment to independence from corporate ownership and hedge-fund consolidation. This model allows the newsroom to remain locally rooted and responsive to its audience.

In an era of shrinking local newsrooms, Racket represents a grassroots attempt to rebuild sustainable city journalism through direct reader support. Its mission centers on keeping distinctive, community-focused reporting alive in the Twin Cities—journalism that is lively, accountable, and unmistakably local.