Minneapolis Star Tribune

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 3:22pm on Monday, January 18th, 2010

Minnesota Star Tribune Publisher to Make 400K+

MinnPost.com reported on January 18, 2010:

"Before the Star Tribune exited bankruptcy last fall, its unions — whose members took significant layoffs and wage cuts — complained that the news organization hadn't complied with federal law revealing the new CEO and his or her pay. Strib officials told the court they hadn't made the hire and would comply with the law when they did.

On Friday, four days after new publisher Mike Klingensmith started work, the news organization filed the necessary disclosure: Klingensmith will make "$400,000 per year in cash, plus incentive compensation and options struck at plan value."

The disclosure comes at an awkward time — the Strib is about to buy out or lay off 30 newsroom workers, some with several decades of experience, after pink-slipping about 70 other workers company-wide late last year."

The full story:
http://www.minnpost.com/braublog/2010/01/18/15061/new_star_tribune_publishers_salary_400000-plus

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 9:54am on Friday, January 8th, 2010

Minneapolis Star Tribune Names New Publisher, the newspaper announced on January 7, 2010:

"Michael Klingensmith, 57, replaces Chris Harte, who left last fall shortly after the Star Tribune emerged from bankruptcy. A native of Fridley who drove a taxicab around the Twin Cities to help pay for college, Klingensmith spent three decades at Time Inc., where he led Sports Illustrated and co-founded Entertainment Weekly.

Klingensmith, who starts work Monday, emerged from a field of more than a dozen serious candidates. Star Tribune Chairman Mike Sweeney said Klingensmith stood out because of his deep, broad media experience and his proven ability to innovate."

The full story:
http://www.startribune.com/local/80942232.html

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 3:40pm on Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

Star Tribune Layoffs Spare Reporters, But Copy Editors And Photographers Not So Lucky

MinnPost.com reported on January 6, 2010:

"Well, the Star Tribune layoff memos are out. Bottom line: no "reporters or their editors" cut, but "more stories will get fewer reads."

That means fewer staffers who do copy editing functions — up to 18 positions, though those aren't all copy editors, I'm told. I don't have a percentage figure on the job classification, but trust me, it's a lot of cast-off bodies between story editors and your eyes. (And speaking of eyes, it looks like the photography staff gets nailed too.)

Despite a slightly more than 10 percent newsroom cut, editors promise they won't drop coverage areas and won't shrink the newshole, so that's good. But of course, everyone will be scrambling to learn the new system while doing more."

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 10:37am on Friday, December 18th, 2009

Stop The Petters Scam Foundation Sues Star-Tribune for Censorship of Advertising Series

"Lawsuit Alleges that Unknown Parties Pressured Newspaper to Halt Publication Of Ads That Raised Questions About Handling of Petters Bankruptcy

"MINNEAPOLIS, December 17, 2009 -- Stop The Petters Scam Foundation, a Minnesota non-profit corporation, today filed a lawsuit against the Star-Tribune Company alleging breach of contract and related charges, and against 30 unknown "Doe" defendants for interference with contractual relations and related charges.

The Foundation's lawsuit asserts that the Star-Tribune "admittedly was pressured by certain unidentified persons to abruptly stop the publication" of a series of 15 advertisements that it had contracted to publish. Although the Star-Tribune agreed to run all the ads and accepted payment for them, it "apparently succumbed to pressure from as yet unknown powerful interests, and breached a fully executed oral agreement and abandoned its journalistic obligation to educate and enlighten its readers," the lawsuit states.

"Ultimately, this lawsuit is about the value of free speech in America," said Garrett Vail, president of the Foundation. "The Star-Tribune concedes that they received pressure to halt our ad series. The public has a right to learn what's been going on in the handling of the Petters assets. Somebody doesn't want us to continue asking questions and raising embarrassing facts. We intend to identify who pressured the newspaper, and hold them and the Star-Tribune accountable."