Jonah Kaplan

Jonah Kaplan is an award-winning journalist who has built a strong reputation for his balanced reporting, thoughtful interviews, and deeply researched coverage of high-impact issues affecting the community. His work appears on all of WCCO's newscasts and is often featured on CBS News' programs and platforms, including the CBS Evening News, CBS Mornings and CBS 24/7.

There isn't much Jonah hasn't covered in his 20+ year career: he's interviewed U.S. Presidents, flown with the U.S. Air Force into the eye of a major hurricane, and was hit with confetti at the NBA Finals, among other memorable assignments. At WCCO/CBS News Minnesota, Jonah's earned the trust of military and public safety leaders to tell their important stories, including the Minnesota National Guard's recent deployments to the Middle East, and the shooting death of three Burnsville first responders. In 2023, Jonah was the first U.S.-based reporter to visit Canada's central hub for wildfire operations, and his special five-part "Summer of Smoke" series helped viewers across the Midwest better understand the impact of climate change on the region's ecosystems. His investigative work often digs into crime, politics, health care, and education, among other concerns on viewers' minds.

Jonah has received dozens of national and regional awards for his work, including an Emmy for Best Reporter, and he's twice been named TV News Reporter of the Year award by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) of the Carolinas. Other accolades include being a lead reporter on a team that won the Edward R. Murrow award for Best Newscast, while also sweeping the top prizes for Spot News from the Missouri Broadcasters Association and Kansas City Press Club. In 2013, he won the Wilbur Award from the Religion Communicators Council for his series Journey to Jerusalem.

Originally from Philadelphia, Jonah actually started in sports working behind the scenes with TV crews at YES Network and ESPN, but later made the switch to news in part to watch the games instead of work them. His professional journey includes stops at stations most recently in Raleigh, NC, and before that Milwaukee, WI, Springfield, MO and Wichita Falls, TX. Jonah also interned on Capitol Hill and at NBC News' London Bureau before graduating with honors from Boston University's College of Communication.

Outside the newsroom, you can find Jonah still cheering on his hometown Philadelphia sports teams, playing tennis and ice hockey, or chanting and song leading with his guitar at area synagogues (he's a son of two rabbis!). Jonah lives in the Minneapolis area with his wife and three daughters.