>> Cathy: WELCOME TO "ALMANAC."

WE HAVE A FULL HOUR AHEAD FOR YOU, READY TO TACKLE THE CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING MINING NEAR THE BOUNDARY WATERS, TALK WITH A MEMBER OF THE MPR NEWS TEAM WHO FOUND FRAUD N TWO DOZEN GROUP HOMES OWNED AND OPERATED BY A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL.

AND DAVID GILLETTE HAS A VIDEO ESSAY FOR US.

>> Eric: WE START TONIGHT WITH A SOMBER ANNIVERSARY.

NEXT WEEK MARKS ONE YEAR SINCE THE DEADLY ANNUNCIATION SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IN MINNEAPOLIS.

THIS WEEK THE "STAR TRIBUNE" IS LAUNCHING A MULTI-MEDIA EXPERIENCE CALLED "THE ANNUNCIATION DIARIES."

THE PROJECT INCLUDES A VIDEO DOCUMENTARY, A PODCAST, AND VIDEO DIARIES KEPT BY SURVIVORS DURING THE PAST YEAR.

HERE'S A SHORT EXCERPT FROM THE DOCUMENTARY.

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK SO FTEN WE THINK LIKE, OH, WELL, WITH TIME IT'S GETTING EASIER, IT'S GETTING BETTER.

AND THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT ENTIRELY TRUE.

IT'S REALLY HARD.

LAST WEEK WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE HARDEST WEEKS I'VE HAD IN A LONG TIME.

>> AND IT'S NOT CONTAGIOUSUM SADIOS YOO.

>> WHAT'S THAT >> >> WHEN ONE PERSON IS LIKE I'M SAD, AND ANOTHER PERSON'S LIKE, WELL, I'M SAD, AND ANOTHER PERSON'S LIKE I'M SAD TOO.

WE CAN SIT ON OUR OWN AND BE SAD AND MISERABLE, OR WE CAN BE WITH FRIENDS AND SEE IF WE FIND A LITTLE JOY IN THAT.

OKAY?

AND HERE'S THE DEAL, IF ANYBODY KNOWS, IT'S ME, RIGHT?

WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER.

OKAY?

BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE BEST OF THIS DAY.

>> Eric: HERE WITH MORE ABOUT THIS YEAR-LONG PROJECT, REPORTER REID FORGRAVE WHOSE EXTENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE ANNUNCIATION COMMUNITY BEGAN THE MORNING OF THE SHOOTING, AND STAR TRIBUNE AUDIO PRODUCER AND ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA PODCAST HOST MELISSA TOWNSEND.

HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT UILDING TRUST WITH THE FAMILIES?

>> YOU KNOW, I LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

I IVE FIVE BLOCKS FROM ANNUNCIATION.

AND REPORTING ON THIS TYPE OF TRAGEDY IS JARRING FOR ANYBODY, IT'S SPECIALLY JARRING WHEN YOU'RE WRITING ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORS AND YOUR FRIENDS.

AND I THINK FROM THE JUMP IT WAS ME CALLING PEOPLE WHO WERE, I ALREADY HAVE THEIR PHONE NUMBERS.

SO I THINK THAT GOES A LONG WAY.

IN GAINING THAT TRUST FROM THE BEGINNING.

BUT I THINK WHAT I ALWAYS TRY TO DO IS TO BE A HUMAN FIRST AND TO SAY, LOOK, IF YOU WANT TO TALK WITH ME OFF THE RECORD FIRST, FEEL ME OUT, SEE WHAT YOU THINK, AND IF YOU WANT TO JUST SAY NO, THANKS, THAT'S COMPLETELY UP TO YOU.

SO I THINK WHAT THIS PROJECT DID IS WE VERY MUCH EMPOWERED THESE PEOPLE FROM ANNUNCIATION TO TELL THEIR OWN STORY.

>> Cathy: I WANT TO GET MELISSA IN HERE TOO BECAUSE YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK IN THE PAST TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO TALK, AND IT'S HARD, RIGHT?

BUT I'M WONDERING, WERE THERE FOLKS WHO MAYBE LOOKED AT THIS AND SAID THIS IS JUST NOT FOR ME, I DON'T WANT TO PARTICIPATE, IT'S JUST TOO HARD.

>> WELL, WE HAD A MEETING AT THE SCHOOL WITH A GROUP OF PARENTS AFTER WE GOT PERMISSION FROM THE ADMINISTRATION AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE, AND THEY WERE LIKE I DON'T WANT TO EXPOSE MY CHILD TO THIS, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE WORRIED THAT IF THIS IS UT THERE, IT WILL BE OUT THERE FOREVER.

AND THIS WILL BE WHAT MY CHILD IS KNOWN FOR.

AND PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO COMMIT TO THAT FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.

>> Cathy: YEAH, I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT.

I WONDER WHAT WAS THE PITCH THAT YOU MADE AS THE REPORTER?

>> I THINK IT WAS -- >> Cathy: WHY THIS WAS IMPORTANT.

>> YEAH, I THINK IT IS, LOOK, THIS THING HAPPENED TO YOU, BUT THIS IS ONE CHANCE FOR YOU TO RECLAIM YOUR NARRATIVE.

AND I THINK, LOOK, THIS IS -- IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE A WORSE THING THAN WHAT HAPPENED AT ANNUNCIATION CHURCH ON AUGUST 27TH LAST YEAR.

BUT ONE THING THIS COMMUNITY HAS DONE HAS BEEN RECLAIM THEIR NARRATIVE.

IT'S A NARRATIVE OF RESILIENCE, IT'S A NARRATIVE OF GRACE, AND OF A COMMUNITY REALLY HANGING TOGETHER.

AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT REALLY CAME OUT IN THESE I THINK REALLY POWERFUL, VULNERABLE VIDEO DIRERIES.

>> Eric: YOU KNOW, THE JOURNALISTS' CHALLENGE ALWAYS IS DON'T GET TOO CLOSE, YOU HEAR THAT IN JOURNALISM SCHOOL.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT APPLIES HERE.

>> I'M TOO CLOSE.

I WILL FREELY ADMIT I'M TOO CLOSE AND THERE ARE TIMES I HAVE TO IND OF STEP BACK FROM IT.

BUT I THINK THERE IS WITH A STORY LIKE THIS AND WHEN YOU'RE WRITING IT IN A AY THAT IS TRYING TO BE DEEPLY EMPATHETIC, I THINK THERE'S ALSO A VALUE OF BEING TOO CLOSE TO IT, FEELING IT DEEPLY.

I MADE A QUICK COSTCO STOP ON MY WAY HERE AND I WAS LISTENING TO THE ANNUNCIATION DIARIES WHEN I WAS WALKING AROUND COSTCO AND I JUST STARTED BURST INTO TEARS AT COSTCO.

AND IT'S NOTHING OMPARED TO WHAT THESE FAMILIES ARE GOING THROUGH BUT FEELING 1% OF THAT SORT OF GRIEF I THINK ADDS TO THE EMPATHY THAT WE CAN BRING TO THIS TRAGIC STORY.

>> Cathy: YOU ARE A VERY EMPATHETIC PERSON.

YOU AND I GOT TO WORK TOGETHER AT MPR AND I'M WONDERING HOW DID IT AFFECT YOU PERSONALLY TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS AUDIO AND VIDEO?

>> I MEAN, YOU JUST HAVE TO BE OKAY WITH CRYING, REALLY.

I MEAN, JUST CHOKING UP, AND WHEN YOU'RE EDITING SOMETHING LIKE THIS YOU LISTEN TO IT 20, 50, 100 TIMES WHY I'M LISTENING TO IT WITHOUT HEADPHONES, MY FAMILY LISTENS TO IT A HUNDRED TIMES AND YOU JUST BURST INTO TEARS EVERY SINGLE TIME.

AND THEN YOU STOP AND YOU GET BACK TO WORK AND YOU TRY AND MAKE THE BEST STORY YOU CAN THAT FEELS TRUE AND HONEST AND INTERESTING.

AND I WOULD SAY THAT AMANDA ANDERSON WAS THE VIDEO PRODUCER ON THIS, SHE'S INCREDIBLE.

SHE'S ON THE GUNFLINT TRAIL RIGHT NOW, THAT'S WHY SHE'S NOT HERE.

BUT SHE WAS THE ONE COLLECTING THE DIARIES AND REALLY SETTING THE TONE WITH PEOPLE WHO DID THIS.

AND SHE JUST CREATED A LOT OF TRUST AND OPENNESS, TELL ME WHATEVER YOU WANT, TELL ME WHATEVER YOU WANT, HERE'S NO SHOULDS, THERE'S NO COULDS AND WE'LL JUST TAKE IT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH IT.

IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE ACT OF TRUST, REALLY, BETWEEN BOTH OF THEM.

>> Eric: THIRD GRADERS AND FOURTH GRADERS APPEAR IN THIS THING, I MEAN, AND THEY'RE SO DARLING YOU WANT TO WRAP YOUR ARMS AROUND THEM.

>> YEAH.

IT'S -- WHEN YOU SEE THE WAY THESE KIDS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND JOY IN SPITE OF ALL THIS, IT IT'S -- OTHING ABOUT THIS IS HOPEFUL OR INSPIRING UNTIL YOU LOOK AT THE AFTERMATH.

AND I DO THINK THESE KIDS AND THESE TEACHERS HAVE REALLY HELPED SHOW US THE WAY.

THAT, LOOK, THIS IS THE WORST THING EVER, AND THIS COMMUNITY HAS FOUND SO MUCH JOY IN THE AFTERMATH.

IT CAN BE BOTH.

>> Cathy: NOTHING IS EVER PERFECT, AND I'M WONDERING WAS THERE A PERSON OR SOME KIND OF AN ELEMENT THAT YOU WERE HOPE TO GO GET INTO THIS THAT YOU JUST COULDN'T?

OR JUST DIDN'T WORK?

ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN SHARE AROUND THOSE LINES.

>> MEAN, ONE THOUGHT I HAVE IS THAT WE HAD THIS IDEA THE DAY AFTER THE SHOOTING, AND WE WANTED TO START TO TALK TO PEOPLE AND YOU HAD TO WAIT.

IT WAS NOT TIME.

I MEAN, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN TERRIBLE, AND SO WE KNEW SO MANY PEOPLE AND WE JUST HAD O TAKE OUR TIME.

SO WE WERE HOPING TO FOLLOW THEM THROUGH THE WHOLE YEAR BUT REALLY WE STARTED LATER IN THE YEAR THAN WE WANTED.

THAT WAS IT, BUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THOSE FIRST FEW MONTHS NOBODY WAS READY.

>> Eric: HOW DO WE ACCESS THIS ON THE WEBSITE?

IS IS >> IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE, IT WILL BE PUBLISHED ON SUNDAY.

THERE WAS A PODCAST ABOUT IT RELEASED ON CENTRAL MINNESOTA PODCAST TODAY AND THERE WAS A DOCUMENTARY THAT WAS POSTED ON YOUTUBE YESTERDAY, ABOUT AN HOUR-LONG DOCUMENTARY AND REALLY I THINK IT'S NUANCED AND VULNERABLE AND DEEPLY HUMAN.

>> Eric: WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CHANGE, NEW DIRECTION FOR THE NEWSPAPER BUSINESS SOUNDS LIKE.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> THAT'S RIGHT!

>> Cathy: THIS IS A MULTIMEDIA PROJECT, A LOT OF DIFFERENT PIECES TO THIS PUZZLE, RIGHT?

I MEAN, IT'S, AND IT'S UNUSUAL TO GET INVOLVED IN SOMETHING THIS DEEP.

>> YEAH.

RIGHT, YES.

>> I THINK THE POWER IN THIS IS, IT'S KIDS AND PARENTS AND TEACHERS TALKING TO THEIR PHONE, AND WE'VE GOTTEN USED TO TALKING TO OUR PHONE LATELY, BUT THE VULNERABILITY COMES OUT, THERE'S ONE PART WHERE FIRST GRADE TEACHERS, CENTRAL PART OF THE PROJECT, SARAH SLACK, WHO WE SAW IN THE OPENER IS TAKING A VIDEO OF HERSELF WHILE SHE'S DRIVING AND SHE PUTS HER CAMERA RIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND YOU SEE THE STEERING WHEEL GOING AND IN MY HEAD I'M LIKE THAT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WOULD ABE TERRIBLE CAMERA SHOT.

NO, IT WAS KIND OF BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE IT WAS VERY REAL AND AUTHENTIC AND I THINK YOU GET THESE MOMENT WHEN'S PEOPLE GET TO, WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A JOURNALIST RIGHT NEXT TO YOU ASKING YOU QUESTIONS AND INSTEAD OF YOU KIND OF ARE TALKING TO YOUR PHONE THERE'S SO MUCH VULNERABILITY AND JUST RAW AUTHENTICITY THAT COMES OUT.

>> Eric: A