Former WCCO anchor Liz Collin lands new job writing for conservative news website

Ross Raihala, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
·3 min read

Feb. 22—Former WCCO TV anchor and reporter Liz Collin has landed a new job, reporting for the conservative news website Alpha News.

Her first piece — which sees Collin ride along on three shifts with Ramsey County's Carjacking Auto Theft team — went live late Monday, as a lengthy written story and 10-minute video.

In an interview Tuesday, Collin said Alpha News was a good fit for her. "They've been quite courageous in what they are reporting. It's an independent source for news and I feel (that is) the future for journalism, in a way."

Collin also said the reasons she left WCCO should be "obvious to anybody who watched." She said she was suspended from her anchor duties and that for the past two years the station severely limited the types of stories she could cover.

"I'll be able to tackle subjects and stories now that I would have before George Floyd. It's just a different platform," she said.

The position at Alpha News is full-time, Collin said, and will also include weekly podcasts and town halls with crime victims.

Collin is married to former Minneapolis Police Federation President Bob Kroll, a relationship that came under public scrutiny after George Floyd's murder.

In August 2020, about 100 Black Lives Matter protesters — including John Thompson, then a DFL-endorsed candidate for House District 67A — marched to the Hugo home of Collin and Kroll and demanded they both resign. That summer, protesters also gathered outside of WCCO's studio in downtown Minneapolis, demanding Collin resign due to a conflict of interest.

For much of Collin's nearly 14 years at WCCO, her marital status was largely unknown. After the protests, WCCO issued a statement saying Collin had not reported on any police issues for at least two and a half years. Collin made a similar statement in late 2019.

Kroll retired in January 2021, four months earlier than he initially planned, citing the impact of his job on his family.

A mission statement on the Alpha News website reads: "We are a team of independent journalists seeking out and reporting the stories that the citizens of Minnesota deserve to know, the same stories that the mainstream media refuse to report and routinely disregard."

Late last month, Collin confirmed her departure from WCCO, but did not reveal the reasons behind her decision. At the time, WCCO declined to comment.

"I want to thank you all for the support you have shown me in my home state of Minnesota. Thank you for trusting me to tell your stories. Thank you to the talented team who helped make that possible," Collin wrote in a social media post. "The truth makes me tick. I'll get back to telling that soon."

Collin also shared her email address and asked readers for news tips. She closed the post with the Bible verse John 8:32, which reads: "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."