MinnPost

MinnPost
Type Nonprofit online newspaper
Founder(s) Joel Kramer
Laurie Kramer
Publisher Andrew Wallmeyer
Editor Joel Kramer
Editor-in-chief Andrew Putz
Managing editors Susan Albright
News editor Tom Nehil
Staff writers Briana Bierschbach
Eric Black
Peter Callaghan
Beth Hawkins
Devin Henry
Founded 2007
Headquarters Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
OCLC number 191956532
Website www.minnpost.com

MinnPost is a nonprofit online newspaper in Minneapolis, founded in 2007, with a focus on Minnesota news.[1]

According to its website, "MinnPost.com provides news and analysis Monday through Friday, based on reporting by professional journalists, most of whom have decades of experience in the Twin Cities media. The site features video and audio as well as written stories. It also includes commentary pieces from the community, and comments from readers on individual stories." The site does not endorse candidates for office or publish unsigned editorials representing an institutional position. They encourage broad-ranging, civil discussion from many points of view, subject to the discretion of a moderator.

Funding

MinnPost's initial funding of $850,000 came from four families: John and Sage Cowles, Lee Lynch and Terry Saario, Joel and Laurie Kramer, and David and Vicki Cox.[2] The Knight Foundation in Miami, Florida initially donated US$250,000[3] and in 2008 subsequently granted additional funds to expand local reporting.[4]

Major foundation support has come from the Blandin Foundation, Otto Bremer Foundation, Bush Foundation, Carolyn Foundation, Central Corridor Funders Collaborative, Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Martin and Brown Foundation, Joyce Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, The Minneapolis Foundation, Pohlad Family Foundation, and The Saint Paul Foundation.

In March 2014, MinnPost announced that, thanks to a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, MinnPost and online news site Voice of San Diego "will engage in a two-stage process over the next two-plus years: First, to develop systems and adopt best practices that manage member information and facilitate significant membership growth. And second, to test out and then adopt new products, services and experiences for members that will make thousands more readers want to be members rather than non-paying readers. Each organization will receive $600,000 over the next two years."[5]

Content and format

Content is "politics, government, science, health, culture" and other subjects including the environment, education and the arts. The non-profit model was estimated to save MinnPost about 15% of a traditional newspaper's outlays.[6] The format takes its shape from online newspapers. At first, MinnPost published a print version of about eight pages at the lunch hour to high traffic locations.[7] The print on demand model and print version was discontinued during the newspaper's first year.[8]

The organization is part of a much-discussed trend away from print toward online media. Quoted by Minnesota Public Radio News, Laurie Schwab, executive director of the Online News Association, said in June 2007, 45 percent of the association's 1,100 members "started working at print publications and migrated online".[9]

Personnel

The CEO and editor of MinnPost is Joel Kramer, former editor and then publisher of the Star Tribune. On May 1, 2014, Andrew Wallmeyer joined the staff as publisher, reporting to Kramer.[10]

Board of Directors: Lee Lynch, President; John Satorius, Secretary; Jennifer Martin, Treasurer; Peter Bell, Carla Blumberg, Lauren Collins, Fran Davis, Fred de Sam Lazaro, Jill Field, Jim Graves, Kathleen Hansen, Vernae Hasbargen, Rachael Jarosh, Kim Kieves, Barbara Klaas, Ed Kohler, Joel Kramer, Kathy Longo, Jane Mauer, Bill McKinney, Mike Moore, Max Musicant, Dan Oberdorfer, Kandace Olsen, Jeremy Edes Pierotti, Mark Richardson, Jeff Ross, Gordon Rudd, Rebecca Shavlik, Zack Stephenson, Kari Swan, John Tieszen. Emeritus: David Cox.

Advisory Council: Terri Barreiro, Wendy Blackshaw, Laura Bloomberg, Scott Burns, Jay Cowles, Toby Dayton, Nancy Feldman, Samuel Heins, Sue Herridge, Marlene Kayser, Tom Kayser, Lars Leafblad, Glenn Miller, David Moore Jr., Beth Parkhill, Mary Pickard, David Plimpton, Kim Snyder, Missy Staples Thompson, Chris Widdess.

News staff include Joel Kramer, Andrew Putz (executive editor), Susan Albright (managing editor), Corey Anderson (web editor), Kaeti Hinck (news technology director), Tom Nehil (news editor), and about 25 journalists. According to Editor & Publisher, opinion pieces are signed and nonpartisan.[1] Several of the editors previously worked for the Star Tribune, MediaNews Group's St. Paul Pioneer Press or Village Voice Media's City Pages. Staff members also come from Minnesota Public Radio, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Hartford Courant and Congressional Quarterly.[11]

MinnPost is one of three news organizations from Minnesota with a bureau in Washington, D.C. (along with Minnesota Public Radio and the Star Tribune). The Washington correspondent and bureau chief is Devin Henry.

Writers

  • Gregg Aamot
  • Briana Bierschbach
  • Eric Black
  • Pat Borzi
  • Cynthia Boyd
  • Peter Callaghan
  • Mike Cronin
  • Steve Date
  • Steve Dornfeld
  • Pamela Espeland
  • John Fitzgerald
  • Aaron Gleeman
  • Amy Goetzman
  • Doug Grow
  • Marlys Harris
  • Kay Harvey
  • Beth Hawkins
  • Devin Henry
  • Louis Johnston
  • Joe Kimball
  • Bill Lindeke
  • Ron Meador
  • Iric Nathanson
  • Susan Perry
  • Britt Robson
  • Sharon Schmickle
  • Al Sicherman
  • Andy Steiner
  • Andy Sturdevant
  • Jim Walsh
  • Catherine Watson

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Former 'Star Tribune' Publisher Launches Major Site for Twin Cities". Editor & Publisher. August 27, 2007. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  2. ↑ Wyant, Carissa (August 27, 2007). "Cowles, Lynch back Web daily venture". Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved August 27, 2007.
  3. ↑ "MinnPost.com to Launch Later This Year with Partial Funding from Knight Foundation" (Press release). John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. August 27, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  4. ↑ "MinnPost". John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. November 8, 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  5. ↑ "MinnPost and VOSD launch joint Knight-funded project to build membership and sustainability". MinnPost. March 31, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  6. ↑ Edmonds, Rick (August 29, 2007). "Old Media Meets New In Minnesota". Poynter Institute. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  7. ↑ McKinney, Matt (August 27, 2007). "Former Star Tribune publisher to launch online news site". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  8. ↑ Kramer, Joel (July 28, 2008). "Note to readers: MinnPost.com expands coverage". MinnPost. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  9. ↑ Baxter, Annie (June 6, 2007). "Newspaper cuts show increasing power of online alternatives". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  10. ↑ Kramer, Joel (April 25, 2014). "Andrew Wallmeyer named publisher of MinnPost". MinnPost. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  11. ↑ Saba, Jennifer (September 6, 2007). "MinnPost, New Online Venture, Ready to Crash Twin Cities Media Scene". Editor & Publisher. Retrieved June 13, 2014.

Further reading

External links