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 »

The National Press Club will host a discussion on the state of journalism in an era of media transition from a print, broadcast, online and academic perspective on Monday, November 17 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m in Coffman Union Theater. National Press Club treasurer, Bloomberg News reporter and SJMC M.A. alum Alan Bjerga will moderate the discussion as panelists present their own opinions and engage in a lively exchange of ideas.

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A complaint against the Star Tribune by the former mayor of Roseville, John Kysylyczyn, was denied today by the Minnesota News Council.  The vote was 11-to-0 with one abstention. Kysylyczyn, mayor of Roseville from 2000 to 2003, said that the Star Tribune unfairly editorialized in a July 23, 2006 news story when it used the word “antics” to characterize his administration. 

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The Minnesota News Council voted to deny complaints by Rep. Arlon Lindner (R-Corcoran) that the Star Tribune and the Associated Press had unfairly covered the controversy about his bill to remove sexual orientation as a protected class under the state’s human rights act.

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On March 15, 2002, the Star Tribune published a news story about Department of Administration officials who questioned MnDOT’s legal and ethical behavior in awarding contracts for work on the intersection of Hwys. 55 and 62, associated with the light-rail project. An Administration official, Kent Allin, was quoted as saying, “The culture of MnDOT is to act the bully, throw one’s weight around, villainize anybody who stands in your way and not worry about wasting tax dollars.”

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Attending the hearing were the complainants, Dr. Patrick Michaels, Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia, and Dr. Robert Balling, Director, Office of Climatology, Arizona State University. Respondents for the Star Tribune were Susan Albright, Editorial Page editor; Jim Lenfestey, formerly employed at the Star Tribune and writer of the editorial in question; Kate Stanley, current global warming editorial writer; and Eric Ringham, Commentary Page editor.

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Attending the hearing was the complainant, Minneapolis Police Lieutenant Mike Sauro. The Star Tribune declined to attend, saying it did not contest the validity of the complaint.

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Dr. L. David Mech identified 28 specific points of contention in an article printed by the Star Tribune. The News Council grouped these points under four general complaints. Mech complained that the story: Carried a prejudicial headline that implied he was guilty of ethical violations. Further, the framing strongly implied serious wrongdoing and set a false stage for all that followed. Second, the Star Tribune used inflammatory and prejudicial language to support unsubstantiated attacks on his character and behavior. Third, the article was based upon information from sources who were anonymous, biased or lacked the authority to judge his behavior, which made it difficult for readers to judge their reliability. Finally, the piece leveled charges against him without providing substantiation or context that would have provided balance.

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Complainants were two parents of special education children – Ruth Gregory, an advocate of special education families and John Guthmann, an attorney – and Robert J. Brick, executive director of ARC Minnesota. Representing the Star Tribune were Tim McGuire, editor, and staff reporters Rob Hotakainen and Mary Jane Smetanka, two of the series’ primary authors. Also attending to answer financial questions was Robert Fischer, a special education statistician in the Minnesota Department of Education.

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The Department objected to two articles in the Star Tribune on July 21, 1994. The Department made three claims of unfairness: first, that the articles distorted the reality and hurt the image of the Department by focusing on one course, which the Department said was unrepresentative of its offerings. Second, that the paper committed an ethical violation by using an undercover reporter in a classroom and by mischaracterizing the story it was working on when it approached the acting department chair, Jacqueline Zita, for comment; and finally that the main article relied uncritically upon the writings of Christina Sommers, whose work has been funded by organizations the Department characterized as “right wing.”

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