Michael Klinski
Title: investigative reporter
Contact: michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org
Languages spoken: English and some French
Demographic expertise: South Dakota
Topic expertise: childcare issues, South Dakota history/current events/politics, criminal justice and crime, college and high school sports and its cultural impact in South Dakota, data journalism, graphics, charts, maps
Demographic expertise: South Asian community (India, Pakistan, Nepal) through local cricket club, Sioux Falls immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities, Indigenous issues in western South Dakota
Biography: Klinski brings a lifelong knowledge of South Dakota (both East River and West River) and 17 years of journalism experience to News Watch. He runs the site's social media channels and website and produces all of the interactive graphics and visual elements. Klinski was born in England on a military base and moved to Ellsworth Air Force Base when he was 2. His family moved to Black Hawk near Rapid City when he was 4, and he graduated from Rapid City Stevens High School. He earned a degree in journalism at the University of South Dakota, where he was the editor of The Volante student newspaper. After a brief stint with the Fargo Forum, he moved to Sioux Falls to work at the Argus Leader in 2005. He stayed there for 17 years, working as a reporter, copy editor, page designer, social media coordinator, breaking news editor, content coach, graphic designer and digital news editor. While at the Argus Leader, he was employee of the year (2014), editorial writer of the year in South Dakota (2015) and won various statewide editing and reporting awards. In 2022, he took a voluntary buyout and started working in marketing at SDN Communications, a regional business internet provider. One of his hobbies is playing cricket in Sioux Falls. He and his wife, Marsa, have four teens: twins Ian and Hayden, Emma and Ethan.
Social platform: LinkedIn
Professional memberships: South Dakota American Advertising Federation
Archive of work: most South Dakota News Watch graphics
Michael Klinski
Total 13 Posts
Fact brief: Are officer-involved shootings in South Dakota increasing?
A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.
Fact brief: Does South Dakota have some of the highest rates of DUI arrests in the nation?
A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.
Fact brief: Is the number of annual tornadoes in South Dakota decreasing?
A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.
Does South Dakota set its state minimum wage by the federal standard?
A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.
Is South Dakota the only state that doesn’t sanction high school baseball?
A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.
Do all inmates in South Dakota get released into the community where the prison is located?
A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.
Is zipper merging more efficient for traffic than early merging?
A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.