Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason DeRusha.
Hi Jason, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I spent 20 years as a local news reporter and anchor at WCCO-TV. I started here in my 20s reporting on the 10 pm news, took over a segment called “Good Question,” and became a morning news anchor. After a decade, I took a leap, left TV News, and took over hosting an opinion news/talk radio show on WCCO (different owners/same call letters). I’ve spent almost two years on the air from 3-6 pm weekdays and available via the DriveTime with DeRusha podcast. I’ve also been very active in the food world as a critic, columnist, and now Food and Drinks editor for Minnesota Monthly magazine. Busy on social media and sending a weekly free email newsletter, too. I love telling stories, creating content, and connecting with innovators. From a volunteer perspective, I am on the Board of Directors for Second Harvest Heartland, the region’s largest food bank, and on the philanthropic board for M Health Masonic Children’s Hospital. I live in Maple Grove with my wife and two teenage sons.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No road is smooth! I’ve worked busy schedules: nights, weekends, holidays, early mornings. , I woke up at 2:30 am for ten years to get to work at 3:30 am. COVID was a challenge as a fun, vibrant work environment emptied. I spent almost nine months anchoring our newscasts in a relatively empty studio. Reporting from the I-35W bridge collapse scene was a life-changing event for me. It was traumatic and inspiring at the same time: so many people died, and so many more were saved by heroes carrying people out of the Mississippi River. I was among the first reporters on the scene; it’s a night I’ll never forget. One day, a wrong-way driver came flying at me at 3 am on the way to work. I dodged him at the last second, and then, about two miles up, he crashed into another car, killing two people. I then reported on that all morning long on the news – that was a challenging day.
Thanks for sharing that. Can you tell us more about your work next?
My goal at WCCO radio is to recreate the Thanksgiving dinner table. I grew up with different opinions, strong opinions, but respectful to all and listening to others. The best days for me are when a listener gets me to think about an issue differently or fills in insight that I’d never be able to get. I also love to laugh- the more absurd and fun, the better. From the food side, finding reliable, trustworthy voices in food is very difficult. I’m proud of being a national finalist for the James Beard Award and of my work online and for Minnesota Monthly. I love it when someone responds to me on Instagram or Twitter and tells me they had a great time at a place I recommended.
Do you have any big plans?
I’m looking forward to a relaunch of my website, JasonDeRusha.com; I’m also excited to partner with more national brands. I’ve been lucky to work with Caribou Coffee, Custom One Homes, Rosedale Shopping Center, and Lund’s & Byerly’s on some big social media projects; I can’t wait to expand that and do more!
Contact Info:
- Website: jasonderusha.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/derushaj
- Facebook: facebook.com/TheJasonDeRusha
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonderusha/
- Twitter: x.com/DeRushaJ
