Former Star Tribune editor and publisher Kramer put together this online news source that went live in November. The local media world is abuzz, particularly with the Strib and Pioneer Press suffering from declining revenues, staffing, and readership.
Kramer has lured well-regarded local scribes to his project, including former Strib and PiPress writers and editors (one being Twin Cities Business contributor Dave Beal). With seeding from a $250,000 grant from the McKnight Foundation, nearly $1 million from a handful of large investors (including Kramer himself), and (as of mid-October) $125,000 in small donations, minnpost.com promises news and blog-like posts on the Net and via a printed newspaper distributed at high-traffic locations over the lunch hour on weekdays.
The audience, Kramer says, is “news intensive people” who hunt down information primarily, but not solely, on line. “We’re not going to try to be all things to all people, or even some things to some people,” Kramer says. Celebs and sexy features on fashion and relationships will be scarce, leaving more room for the news, in depth.
This will be a fascinating work in progress. How long will it last? Will online ads and Minnesota Public Radio–style donations be enough to sustain it? How will it influence the future of local journalism?
