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 »

Rep. Al Doty v. The Morrison County Record

12:15 p.m., August 21, 2008

Hamline United Methodist Church - St. Paul, Minn.

Minneapolis (Aug. 20, 2008) - The Minnesota News Council will convene Thursday, August 21 to consider two complaints against the Morrison Country Record by state legislator Al Doty (DFL-Royalton).

Rep. Doty complained to the News Council in April about the Morrison County Record, a weekly newspaper in Little Falls, Minn. Rep. Doty said the paper approached him for a general quote “on the gas tax,” but did not tell him it would be used in a news feature that critiqued his support of a transportation bill (“Local GOP objects to Doty’s support of gas tax hike,” 3/2/08). Record editor and publisher Tom West disagrees that Doty should have told what the story was about in advance. Doty “gave good answers to the questions I asked him,” West wrote, “and they were reported accurately in the printed article.” More »

Join us for our next ethical exercise with a panel of journalists and members of the public on August 21. All public hearings are free and open to the public, and held over the Thursday lunch hour.

This month, we will discuss a complaint from a state legislator who alleges that his local newspaper is partisan. The paper stands by its work and says that the contested editorial decisions were made in the interest of balanced coverage.

More »

June 19, 2008, St. Paul: The Minnesota News Council upheld two complaints against KBJR-TV (Duluth, Minn.) and upheld one complaint against KSTP-TV. More »

Volume 2: Issue 2

Inside this issue:

I. Welcome from Executive Director Sarah Bauer
II. “News Council Present Accountability Award to Bob Shaw”
III. Hearing: “News Council Denies Three Complaints Against the Duluth Budgeteer News”
IV. In Memoriam: Hesham Hussein

Read the entire issue here:
Newsworthy Online | February 2008 (PDF)

Volume 2: Issue 1

Inside this issue:

I. Welcome from Executive Director Sarah Bauer
II. Hearing: “News Council Hears Complaint by Afton City Councilman Against the Woodbury Bulletin”
III. Complaints: “2007 Complaints Recap”
IV. From the Development Office: Sponsors C.H. Robinson Worldwide and Huckle Publishing

Read the entire issue here:
Newsworthy Online | January 2008 (PDF)

Volume 1: Issue 1

Inside this issue:

I. “News Council Announces Appointment of Executive Director Sarah Bauer”
II. Hearing: “Minnesota Daily Compares Local Artist to the ‘Madwoman of Chaillot’”
III. Hearing: “WCCO Web site Mixes Anti-Tax Rally with Global Warming Protest”
IV. Complaints: “MNC Public Complaints Reflect Concerns About Non-Coverage and Bias”
V. “Erika Roland Joins MNC as Development Director”

Read the entire issue here:
Newsworthy Online | November 2007 (PDF)