The Strib’s Suburban Shift — And More

MinnPost and user-generated content: MinnPost founder Joel Kramer said on Almanac Friday night that his site’s focus will be “traditional”: high-quality news for people who “want to learn things from professionals” instead of from other readers. User-generated content is only a small part of the plan, he said, which aims for 80 percent original reporting. A new study out may change his mind: Deloitte’s State of the Media Democracy Survey found that 51 percent of consumers in all demographics are watching personal content created by others and posted online. Naturally, for 13- to 24-year olds — the age group print newspapers can’t seem to connect with — that number jumps, to 71 percent.

Suburban shift: The AP reports that the Star Tribune is doing away with its suburban inserts and will instead be “zoning” editions to the suburbs — that is, target which sections of the papers go to which areas. Strib communications VP Ben Taylor told the AP that the move was “an expansion effort, not a cost-cutting effort.” It could result in moving suburban beat reporters — who were paid lower than other news staff — back into the main newsroom and, hopefully, up the pay scale. The Minnesota Newspaper Guild said the plan, if approved, will be implemented by Oct. 3.

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