As you may have read in the media, the Board of Directors of the Minnesota News Council has made the painful and difficult decision to close our doors.

After 41 years of existence and more than 155 hearings involving consumers of the media and its outlets, in the past couple years MNC has been overtaken by a combination of forces, many of them common to other charitable organizations.  The recession of 2008 and 2009 had a terrible impact on our funding.  Many of the corporations that had contributed to our efforts over the years for their own budgetary reasons cut back on their charitable giving, often refocusing their efforts to a narrow list of vital functions, such as children’s issues, healthcare and education.  Minnesota’s two major daily newspapers, facing bankruptcy, ownership changes and other issues, also either trimmed their contribution or eliminated it altogether.

Finally – times change.  The growth and expansion of the Internet had a profound impact on our efforts.  The proliferation of blogs, which allowed news consumers their own distinct voices, email and comment  sections to online news stories, provided an instantaneous outlet for complaints, concerns and commentary on the news.  Our hearing process, which was both thorough and, as a result, time-consuming, couldn’t measure up to the instant access allowed by electronic media.

You should be aware that the Board of the News Council explored every possible avenue to keep the organization alive:  We asked both the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and the University of St. Thomas’ School of Journalism if either institution would like to take over the organization; we also asked both our board members and hearing panel members if anyone would like to continue the organization’s work on a purely volunteer basis.  None of these avenues bore fruit.

We are now in the process of filing the necessary legal documents to formally close down the organization and will be posting this on our website as further notification.  Eventually, we will be working to transfer the approximately $270,000 in our endowment – upon which we had been drawing heavily for operating money before we eliminated our paid staff and moved out of our offices – to the Minnesota News Media Institute, the 501(c)(3) arm of the Minnesota Newspaper Association.  The funds will be used for the continuing education of working journalists, to continue the Minnesota News Council’s public forum program, and for research projects at the graduate and undergraduate level.

To all those who have supported our efforts, participated in our hearings and donated to our operations, thank you.  Without you all, we wouldn’t have succeeded as long as we did; becoming the longest-living organization dedicated to fair and trusted journalism in America.  That’s something to be proud of.

Best wishes,

Tony Carideo
Chairman of the Board
Minnesota News Council

Confused about how and when Fair Use applies to entries on Facebook, Twitter and blogs? Paul Hannah provides pointers on Copyright law for journalists, concerned citizens, bloggers and all concerned about Fair Use in online expressions. As a well-known Twin Cities media attorney, Mr. Hannah knows the law and can clarify it for those who may be intimidated, confused or overwhelmed by it.

Time: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 | 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.

Location: Women Venture Meeting Room
2324 University Ave West, St. Paul (just East of Raymond)

Free parking available.

COGI-tations are public forums sponsored by Minnesota Coalition on Government Information, www.mncogi.org

When:

Thursday, May 27 | 4:00 p.m.

Where:
Ted Mann Concert Hall
2128 4th St. S, Minneapolis, MN

This presentation is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

The Humphrey Institute’s Center for the Study of Politics and Governance will host a forum with “Meet the Press” for part of its Across America series– special discussions with key political and community leaders–at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 27, at Ted Mann Concert Hall. Registration is required.

The one-day regional workshop will arm you with strategies and dozens of successful case studies to help you turn events into a powerful revenue stream. The event is being co-sponsored by the Minnesota Journalism Center, University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and the Minnesota Newspaper Association.  

The program has been designed to address the needs of and identify opportunities for all newspapers – large and small. 

Find out: 

• The essential steps for designing the most creative events that will have the greatest appeal to your market … and make money.
• How event marketing departments can generate substantial revenue … including some that make between $2 million and $4 million annually.
• Ways to capture new audiences and enhance your brand and value proposition through events.
• The keys to successfully creating and staging an event … and what pitfalls to avoid
• How to harness the power of social media to market your events.

Featured discussion leader William Cone is an international event marketing producer and consultant. For three decades, he has been involved with major promotions and causes in more than 1,400 cities and towns across North America and Europe. Cone has worked with dozens of newspapers and other media companies, corporations, marketing agencies, educational groups, governmental bodies and non-profit organizations on how to maximize revenue and publicity through events, promotions, partnerships and cause marketing. 

Tuition is $150. 

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? 
Those responsible for developing strategies for new revenue streams through events as well as those who design, manage and deliver special events for their organizations. 

DETAILS 

Workshop location: A.I. Johnson Room
McNamara Alumni Center (on the University of Minnesota campus)
200 Oak St. SE
Minneapolis, MN  

Schedule:  

Check in (8:15 – 8:50 a.m.)
Morning session (9 – noon)
Lunch break (noon – 1 p.m.)
Afternoon session (1 – 3:30 p.m.) 

For online registration, directions and other information, including nearby accommodations, go to this LINK on the API Web site, or: 

www.americanpressinstitute.org/10/EventMinneapolis 

Registration questions? Please contact Melanie Grachan at mgrachan@americanpressinstitute.org or 703-715-3307.

Where: McNamara Alumni Center, University of Minnesota

Visit the conference site for a full schedule, speaker information and additional registration information.

See Change is an annual gathering for communication professionals across the visual spectrum. It’s a variety show of sorts featuring talent who do remarkable work. It’s a visual scrapbook enabling concepts beyond our skill sets to cross-pollinate. It’s a think tank to recharge our abilities and thought.

Cost:

$75: Members of partner organizations (including SPJ)

$90: Non-members

$25: Students

Seating is limited! Reserve before May 12, 2010.

Please register online at the School of Journal & Mass Communication registration page.

Where:  University of Minnesota’s McGuire Translational Research Facility
2001 6th Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

The facility is located across from TCF Bank Stadium.
Enter the building from the corner of 6^th and Oak Streets. InfoDesk#: 612-624-1611

Join your colleagues as we cover the basics of biotechnology—complete with a hands-on demonstration of DNA extraction, discuss the role of stem cells in research, provide an overview of how far we’ve come in addressing ag-based solutions to food and fuel challenges and highlight local research efforts.

Minnesota-based journalists may attend the workshop at no charge.   The event is exclusively for journalists who want to learn more about biotechnology.

Please RSVP to George Goodno at ggoodno@bio.org or by phone at 202.962.6660.

This event is co-sponsored by LifeScience Alley, University of Minnesota’s McGuire Translational Research Facility and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO).

• The University of Minnesota Academic Health Center is home to six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy. www.ahc.umn.edu
• LifeScience Alley is the largest state-based life sciences trade association in the country serving over 600 member companies, organizations and institutions that devote their efforts to the research, development and commercialization of the life sciences as well as those in the health care delivery system. LifeScience Alley acts as the industry’s central resource for fostering innovation, offering education & networking, creating consensus, and providing a strong, unified legislative voice.  Members hail from all life science industry sectors, including medical device, pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, health care providers, food and nutrition, and renewable energy. www.LifeScienceAlley.org
• BIO is the world’s largest biotechnology organization, providing advocacy, business development and communication services for more than 1,200 members worldwide. www.bio.org

What

Where: T’s Place, 2713 E. Lake St. Minneapolis

When: Friday, April 30 | 4:30 – 7:30 p.m

You’re invited to the Twin Cities Daily Planet Happy Hour Birthday Party at T’s Place.  Join TCDP editors, writers, photographers, videographers, media partners and readers for drinks and conversation – this is a great opportunity to meet face to face with members of the Twin Cities Daily Planet community, talk about news stories and happenings in the Twin Cities, and enjoy each others’ company—offline.

T’s Ethiopian-Malaysian menu is almost as diverse as the Daily Planet – If you want to stick around for a group dinner afterward, and might be interested in a group dinner, email Twin Cities Media Alliance Executive Director Jeremy Iggers: jeremyiggers@tcdailyplanet.net

Parking is available at meters, and in the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church parking lot, across from US Bank between 29th and 28th Avenues. Do not park in the East Lake Public Library lot – you may be towed.

Join the Twin Cities Media Alliance, and journalists Jim Brunzell III and Barb Teed for lunch Wednesday!

When: Wednesday, April 28 | 12:00 p.m.

Where:  East Lake Public Library

Cost: Free, and open to the public. Bring your own lunch!

Host: The Twin Cities Media Alliance

Journalists Jim Brunzell III and Barb Teed will join us at the East Lake Public Library at 12:00 this Wednesday, April 28. Grab a lunch from home or your favorite take-out spot and join us for a conversation with two of the Twin Cities Daily Planet’s busiest writers. Hosting the event will be Daily Planet arts editor Jay Gabler.

Both Jim and Barb have reported on national film events for the Daily Planet. Jim has reported from film festivals including Sundance, Seattle, and Chicago; and this year Barb and her daughter Lindsay were behind the scenes at the Academy Awards. In the course of their reporting, they’ve interviewed celebrities including Sandra Bullock, Jeff Bridges, Kathryn Bigelow, Mo’Nique (Barb); Atom Egoyan, Bruce Campbell, Joe Pantoliano, and Steve Zahn (Jim). Over lunch, Jim and Barb will talk about what it’s like to report on red-carpet spectacles, how movie news gets reported (and spun), finding the local angle on national events, and what it’s like to be face-to-face with the world’s top filmmakers and actors.

The Twin Cities Media Alliance’s monthly Brown Bag Lunches are your chance for casual conversation with some of the Twin Cities’ most insightful journalists (and journalists from around the world) — about journalism, politics, or whatever is on your mind.

The Art of Access: Strategies for getting public records to improve your reporting and life

Stretched thin with daily stories, Web postings, and extra responsibilities? Feel like you can’t do the kind of depth reporting you want? Or maybe you just want to improve your reporting skills and bolster your already stellar stories? Then make sure to attend this special session on strategies for acquiring public records by Society of Professional Journalist Freedom of Information Committee Chairman David Cuillier.

When: Tuesday, May 11 | 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Murphy Hall Room 100 | University of Minnesota | 206 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 [Parking info]

Cost: Cost: $10 (SPJ Members) | $15 (non-members)

Sign up now!

Here is what he’ll cover:
• Great ideas for document-based stories you can do in your community
• Strategies for effective records requests and overcoming denials
• Psychological skills for getting officials to give you what you need
• Tips for making records part of your daily routine
• Rousing inspiration for doing great journalism in tough times

Each participant will receive an FOI resources binder.

David Cuillier is chairman of the SPJ Freedom of Information Committee and has been a FOI newsroom trainer for SPJ for five years. He is a former reporter and editor and now teaches journalism at the University of Arizona. He is co-author of “The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records,” teaches courses on access, and conducts research on access strategies.

Sponsors
This tour is funded by the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, a non-profit organization that aids SPJ and journalism initiatives, with assistance from the University of Arizona School of Journalism.

For more information visit: http://www.mnspj.org

Event Details:

When: Wednesday, May 12 | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Where: Best Western Victorian Inn | 1000 Hwy 7 West | Hutchinson, MN 55350

Tickets: $50

Seats are limited, so purchase your tickets today to ensure your spot on May 12th! Registration closes May 10.

Photo Editing & Color Correction Tips for Experienced Photoshop Users:

Kevin shares the latest PS tricks.  Always a popular breakout session for technology, design and composing newspaper staff persons.

Identifying & Correcting Problems in PDF Files:

Kevin discusses the reasons that newspapers have problems with many PDF files – and shares methods for finding and correcting the issues quickly.

The sessions will cover materials that will be helpful to users of all versions of these applications, although Kevin will also touch on some of the latest features in the most current versions.

Register online now: http://mna2010kevinslimp.eventbrite.com/