US: Former print publisher moves to the Web

Posted by John Burke on August 28, 2007 at 9:42 AM

Former editor and publisher of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Joel Kramer, has made public his plans to begin a daily online publication dedicated to covering the Minneapolis/St. Paul region. The "paper" will be non-profit and will depend on sponsorship, advertising and donations from members.

In a statement, Kramer acknowledged that the current media landscape is difficult for newspapers, which have been laying off editorial staff and diminishing news coverage. "But," he continued, "this creates a real opportunity, too, because so many outstanding journalists have left Twin Cities newspapers, and they and a variety of talented free-lancers are eager to bring their talents and experience to MinnPost."

The online publication, dubbed MinnPost.com, will post articles Monday through Friday. Features include:

conversations between journalists and readers
blog-like posts written from original reporting
signed opinion columns
round-ups of metro, state, national and international issues with commentary from community members
a quick-read, printable version

Kramer raised $1 million to start the publication, including a $250,000 donation from the Knight Foundation.

Source: Editor & Publisher, SFN Blog

Posted in :