Broadcaster, historian leaves legacy in the Twin Ports – Superior Telegram

SUPERIOR — Passionate, diligent, dependable, knowledgeable and kind — those are just some of the words the people who knew Joe Mann used to describe his work and legacy.

The long-time production assistant and floor director at WDSE-WRPT died Dec. 21, following a stroke at the age of 49.

“I think the Twin Ports has just lost a very pure soul who always acted kindly, who always thought the best of people, who worked without expecting a lot in return and who followed his passions,” said Julie Zenner, co-host of Almanac North, WDSE’s public affairs program that runs every Friday.

Among Mann’s passions was a love for local history. In addition to his part-time work behind-the-scenes at WDSE, Mann worked part-time for the Superior Public Museums and Douglas County Historical Society and the Karpeles Manuscript Museum in Duluth.

“For someone who didn’t have a full-time job, he certainly had a full-time work schedule,” said Jon Winter, Douglas County Historical Society business manager.

Winter said he believes Mann enjoyed the variety.

“He had so many passions for so many things, so he was able to piece all these jobs together to create kind of an interesting career,” Winter said.

Mann grew up in Hoyt Lakes. After graduating from Mesabi East High School in 1991, he headed to Lake Superior College where he learned what he needed to become a broadcaster. After college, he worked part-time for a local radio station and volunteered at WDSE to get experience behind the camera. He worked in broadcasting in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for a stint, before returning to Duluth and being hired at WDSE in 1996.

“There are unsung heroes in every organization; Joe Mann is one of them at WDSE-WRPT in Duluth, playing a pivotal and often invisible role,” Almanac North co-host Dennis Anderson said in a biographical piece when Mann was recognized as a

Silver Circle honoree by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Upper Midwest Chapter in 2020.

Only a handful of Twin Ports broadcasters have earned the distinction — Barbara Reyelts, Michelle Lee, Dave Jensch and Anderson, a Gold Circle honoree.

Zenner said she remembers when Mann received the Emmy recognition that usually goes to on-air personalities in broadcasting.

“Nobody on earth would have appreciated that award more than he did,” Zenner said. “It never could have gone to someone who valued it the way that he did.”

Jason Seboe, studio manager and videographer for WDSE, joined the station as the studio director. While he’d had years of directing experience, Seboe said commercial broadcast has a different style and tempo than public television.

“I leaned heavy into Joe because Joe had been here so long, and I was trying to find my way,” Seboe said. “Joe was just reliable; he was always here.”

Greg Grell of WDSE said Mann was someone who was always willing to help in any way he could.

“He had his hands in anything that had anything to do with history in our region,” Grell said. “He loved to talk to folks.”

Mann was never shy about talking to people, Zenner said.

“When guests come into a live studio show, often the people behind the cameras are invisible or anonymous,” Zenner said. “That wasn’t the case with Joe. He always engaged our guests in conversation, and they all knew who he was.”

Mann’s love of working in broadcast and for history even blended in his personal life, his colleagues at WDSE said.

“From what I understand, his apartment is a shrine to all things broadcasting and his involvement in it,” Seboe said.

“He was a person who was passionate about history and broadcast history in particular,” Zenner said. She said when something happened in the media, he would bring in things from his personal collection, a collection she hopes can be preserved and placed where people can appreciate it.

“He threw himself into whatever job he was doing,” said Matt Sjelin, director of Karpeles Manuscript Museum. “He was very keen on adding on to exhibits with things he found in the library … the guests love him.”

Mann was knowledgeable and helped guests find what the were looking for, Winter said, even when Winter wasn’t sure how he found it.

Sjelin agreed and said Mann had a gift for unearthing local history. Furthermore, Mann was a model employee and helped the museum grow.

But beyond that, Sjelin said one of Mann’s most memorable qualities was his kindness.

“He was so kind, so kind to everyone,” Sjelin said. “That is really important to stress, how kind he was … that’s his legacy.”