TESHA CHRISTENSEN

When a letter that she wrote was published in her hometown newspaper when she was a kid, Tesha M. Christensen was hooked. “I had gotten my first glimpse into the power of the printed word. I wanted more,” recalled Christensen. “I saw how newspapers could be used to generate change in their communities, and how they could inform and engage people.”
She started her own paper and later wrote for her college newspaper, The Clarion. Shortly after earning her bachelor’s degree in English from Bethel University, she got a full-time job at her hometown newspaper, The STAR in Cambridge, Minn. – the same newspaper that printed her letter to the editor when she was a child. Christensen worked as the assistant editor and special sections editor of her hometown newspaper for 10 years, serving two counties and a circulation of 21,000 with a twice weekly newspaper. Over the years, Christensen covered a range of topics in Isanti and Chisago counties, from school board levies to new county parks to crime news. “I wrote about what new businesses were coming to town, local musicians, and rodeo shows, and a story about one local resident who saved the life of another,” Christensen recalled. “I love the ever-changing nature of this business, and how I learn something new with each story I write.”
In 2012, Tesha started writing for the Longfellow Nokomis Messenger and Midway Como Frogtown Monitor after moving to South Minneapolis. She purchased the newspapers in 2019 when the longtime owners (Cal deRuyter and Tim Nelson) retired, and started her own business, TMC Publications CO.
A lifelong learner, Christensen believes in the importance of the local newspaper to collect the stories of the neighborhood it serves. In the past she’s written for Northstar Media, the Isanti County News, ECM Publishers/Adams Publishing Group, Twin Cities Daily Planet, RedCurrent and The Alley newspaper in the Phillips neighborhood of south Minneapolis.
She enjoys connecting with journalism students. “I love journalism, and I am passionate about sharing journalism with kids and young adults,” stated Christensen. “They are the future, and it’s so exciting to hear their ideas.” She taught journalism classes at Anoka-Ramsey Community College from 2006 to 2012, and taught for one year at Planet Homeschool, a homeschool co-op in St. Anthony, where she helped launch a school newspaper written by the middle and high school students. At TMC Publications CO, she works to partner with local schools looking for internship opportunities.
Christensen appreciates connecting people through neighborhood news and seeks to make it relevant, trustworthy and local.
Christensen has served on a variety of committees and boards over the years, and is a co-founder of Team Yarn - Head Huggers (teamyarn.blogspot.com), a small non-profit dedicated to making and donating hats, shawls and lapghans to those battling cancer and other serious illnesses.
She lives with her two children and their two cats in a house with a big garden and a Little Free Library.
Contact Tesha M. Christensen at 612-345-9998 or tesha@SWconnector.com.