The Minnesota News Council denied two complaints against the Morrison County Record by state legislator Al Doty (DFL-Royalton).

Rep. Doty complained to the News Council after the paper published a March 2 story, “Local GOP objects to Doty’s support of gas tax hike.” The Record’s editor and general manager, Tom West, approached Doty for comment “on the gas tax,” but did not tell him it would be used in a news story about Doty’s support of a transportation bill. In an effort to balance a press release issued by Republican leaders in the district, West rewrote the press release to include comments from Doty and the county engineer, as well as additional background information. More »

The Minnesota News Council voted Thursday to deny three complaints against the Duluth Budgeteer News, affirming the paper’s decision to run a Nov. 4, 2007 opinion column critical of Duluth School Board candidate Gary Glass.

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Two complaints by the Minneapolis City Council about a KSTP-TV news story that said the city wrongfully demolished a house in the East Phillips neighborhood were upheld by lopsided votes at a Minnesota News Council public hearing.

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A complaint from three Maplewood city council members that a KSTP-TV news story in July inaccurately reported that the council had stalled progress on an area redevelopment plan was narrowly upheld today by the Minnesota News Council. The vote was 6 to 4.

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A complaint against the Roseau Times-Region newspaper by a city official was denied by the Minnesota News Council. The vote was 8 to 4 with one abstention.

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The News Council denied three complaints by Prior Lake’s former mayor and two city council colleagues against the Prior Lake American newspaper.

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Participants included the complainant, candidate Roy Carlson, and his campaign adviser, Doug Friedline, and responding for the Savage Pacer, Laurie Hartmann, publisher, and Nancy Huddleston, editor.

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Participants included the complainant, Marcia Eland, and Eden Prairie News editor Mark Weber.

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Participants included the complainant, Nancy Barsness and editor/general manager of the Morris Sun/Tribune, Jim Morrison.

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Ellis Olkon is the lawyer-husband of Nancy Olkon, a candidate for Hennepin County Board of Commissioners in 1994. The Twin Cities Reader published a story in August 1994, just before the primary election, that characterized her tenure on the Board in the late ’70s as tumultuous and brought up her husband’s conviction (now expunged) and temporary disbarment. Mr. Olkon complains that the Reader was unfair in relying upon sources hostile to him and by not contacting him for comment on the story, although at least half of the story was about him and not about his wife, the candidate. Additionally, he claims the Reader defamed him by reporting that federal officials had accused him of having a financial interest in the Bunny Hutch, “a notorious St. Louis Park whorehouse,” and reporting that he “had” a witness testify to something in a court case, unfairly implying that he had induced false testimony. He says he was not charged with any crimes related to the Bunny Hutch. Finally Olkon felt the Reader story inaccurately characterized the results of a lawsuit the Olkons filed against Mark Andrew, another county commissioner, alleging unfair campaign practices.

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