Video courtesy of The UpTake.

Follow the debate and debate news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mn_newscouncil and #TMPDebate2010

Listen to a full re-broadcast of the debate at Minnesota Public Radio.

Gubernatorial candidates differentiate themselves from each other at first bipartisan debate of long election season

By Forrest Adams, Mathias Baden, and Shannon Fiecke

In one of the first bipartisan debates of the gubernatorial election season, 20 candidates tried to differentiate themselves from other Republican, Democratic-Farmer-Labor, and Independence party candidates.

On Wednesday, Jan. 27, the Minnesota News Council and the League of Women Voters Minnesota Education Fund sponsored, in cooperation with the Minnesota Newspaper Association and its 143rd convention, a debate between 20 of the 22 gubernatorial candidates who have filed with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board.

The field of candidates will dwindle after the Feb. 2 party caucuses, grassroots gatherings during which eligible voters can cast ballots for their top choices for governor. Delegates will select their parties’ nominees at state conventions during coming months, and 12 of the candidates in the debate said they would abide by the party nominations. More »

The 2010 Major Parties Gubernatorial Debate, presented by the Minnesota News Council and the League of Women Voters Minnesota is tonight.

Tickets are available at the door, on a first-come, first-served basis.  The registration desk opens at 4:30 p.m.  The event is expected to sell out.

The event will be live-streamed here tonight.  Tune in starting at 6:00 p.m. if you cannot make it to the debate.

Twenty candidates from all three major parties will be on stage.  Click here for a complete list.

Click here to support this event with a financial contribution.

Follow the debate and debate news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mn_newscouncil and #TMPDebate2010.

Pre-registration for the 2010 Major Parties Gubernatorial Debate is now closed.  Remaining tickets will be available at the door, on a first-come, first-served basis.  The registration desk opens at 4:30 p.m. on January 27.  The event is expected to sell out.

There are now 20 candidates committed to participate in next week’s debate.  Click here for a complete list.

Event Schedule

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

4:30 p.m. | Registration desk opens

5:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Pre-debate reception

6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Debate

LOCATION

Sheraton Bloomington, Minneapolis South
7800 Normandale Boulevard
Minneapolis, MN 55439

Questions

Please email Minnesota News Council Executive Director Sarah Bauer at sarah.bauer@news-council.org.

Click here to support this event with a financial contribution.

Follow the debate and debate news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mn_newscouncil and #TMPDebate2010.

The 2010 Major Parties Gubernatorial Debate is fast-approaching.   Don’t forget to sign up today and reserve your seat for this unique event; registration is required.  The debate is presented by the Minnesota News Council and the League of Women Voters Minnesota in cooperation with the Minnesota Newspaper Association.

All formally-announced gubernatorial candidates, running as a member of one of the major political parties have been invited to participate in the debate.  Click here to see a complete list of participants.

The event will be moderated by Minnesota Public Radio Program Host Gary Eichten, Star Tribune Columnist and Editorial Writer Lori Sturdevant, and Alexandria Echo Press Editor Al Edenloff.  The debate will be rebroadcast on Minnesota Public Radio’s Midday program on Thursday, January 28.

Event Schedule

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

5:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Pre-debate reception

6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Debate

Questions

Please email Minnesota News Council Executive Director Sarah Bauer at sarah.bauer@news-council.org.

Registration

Click here to register for the event.

Click here to support this event with a financial contribution.

Follow the debate and debate news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mn_newscouncil and #TMPDebate2010.

The deadline for submissions has been extended to December 23, 2009.
Honor fair and trusted journalism at your newspaper!

Are you proud of your political coverage during the most recent election cycle?  Did you cover a particularly difficult social or political issue in your area this year?  Do you think the work improved your community?  Nominate your work for the 2010 Rasmussen Family Fairness Award today.

The award, established to honor and promote fair and balanced journalism will be presented by the Minnesota News Council and the family of former Minnesota publisher Duane Rasmussen at the Minnesota Newspaper Association Convention. More »

Presented by the Minnesota News Council and the League of Women Voters Minnesota in cooperation with the Minnesota Newspaper Association

The Minnesota News Council and the League of Women Voters Minnesota in cooperation with the Minnesota Newspaper Association and its 143rd annual convention are pleased to present a Pre-Caucus Gubernatorial debate on Wednesday, January 27, 2010.

For 30 years, the League of Women Voters Minnesota has successfully sponsored non-partisan debates with candidates in an effort to educate the public about campaign issues, provide an opportunity for voters to hear candidates discuss those issues face-to-face, and stimulate public interest and participation in the election.

The Minnesota News Council is pleased to present this opportunity for members of the Minnesota media community and the general public to hear from the 2010 Gubernatorial candidates in advance of the February precinct caucuses.  The event also marks the opening night of the 2010 Minnesota Newspaper Association Convention.

All declared major party candidates for governor (as defined by the Minnesota Secretary of State) have been invited to participate in the debate.  Stay tuned to our Web site for more information.

RECEPTION | 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

The pre-debate reception will feature hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Reception attendees will have a chance to visit with candidates and the media prior to the event.  Tickets are $25.

DEBATE | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

The gubernatorial debate is free and open to the public. Seating for the debate begins at 6:00 p.m.  Tickets are free; pre-registration is required.

SPIN ROOM | 8:30 – 9:30

All credentialed media will be permitted into this unique opportunity to interview candidates and campaign surrogates along with representatives of the Major Parties.

CHECK-IN | Starting at 4:30 p.m.

The registration desk will be open at 4:30 and will remain open until the start of the debate.  You will receive your event ticket at the check-in desk.  Tickets must be presented at the door for entry into the event.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

No outside audio or video recording will be allowed at the event except by credentialed media.  If you require media credentials, or a blogger looking to cover the event, please email Minnesota News Council Executive Director Sarah Bauer at sarah.bauer@news-council.org.

The Minnesota News Council and the League of Women Voters Minnesota are both non-partisan, non-profit organizations.  In this spirit, event attendees will not be allowed wear clothing promoting candidates or bring candidate signage or stickers into the event.

We invite public input for the debate questions.  If you would like to submit questions for the candidates to answer at the debate, please email them to info@news-council.org.

LOCATION

Sheraton Bloomington, Minneapolis South
7800 Normandale Boulevard
Minneapolis, MN 55439

QUESTIONS

Please email Minnesota News Council Executive Director Sarah Bauer at sarah.bauer@news-council.org.

REGISTRATION

Click here to register for the event.

Click here to support this event with a financial contribution.

Follow the debate and debate news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mn_newscouncil and #TMPDebate2010.

We are pleased to offer our monthly newsletter in an online format. If you have not signed up to receive this monthly update, please sign up to join our mailing list at the top of our homepage.

In this issue:  please support the News Council on GiveMN’s “Give to the Max” day, read about exciting new changes at the News Council, and read a recap of our fall forum.

You can view Newsworthy Online by clicking here.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota’s largest daily newspaper, receives 15,000 comments to its online stories every month. The St. Cloud Times receives comments by the thousands, as does the Pioneer Press.

But are they worth anything?  Or as David Brauer, media reporter for MinnPost.com recently characterized it, are on-line comments nothing more than “a cesspool” of hate, personal attacks and other sentiments that aren’t worth the electrons they occupy?

A distinguished panel of experts, including online editors, columnists, reporters and a media lawyer, discussed the phenomenon this week at a forum sponsored by The Minnesota News Council and the Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

If there was any consensus, it was that readers’ online comments are popular.

“Four to five percent of all online users comment online, which may not sound like a lot, but many commenters are active, repeat users,” said Star Tribune Assistant Managing Editor/Digital Terry Sauer.

There was less agreement on a variety of other points, however, such as whether comments should be monitored, and whether they’re harmful. More »

Photos and video are now available online from the September 29 forum, The Comment Conundrum.

CLICK HERE to view photos on Flickr

CLICK HERE to view video from the event.

All photos by Scott Theisen for MNC/MNSPJ.
Video by Jeff Achen for MNC/MNSPJ.