Que Q?

Q is for Question: Given KQRS’ track record of racial insensitivity, is this billboard, spotted by The Daily Mole, a smart move? Better question: What does it mean?

National props for MN student journalist: Eric Sheforgen, former editor of the St. Francis (Minn.) High School newspaper and now a student at St. Olaf, won the 2007 Courage in Student Journalism Award. In January, he published a photo from a school play simulating the ripping of an American flag, prompting a showdown with the school’s principal who banned the image.

NEED wins big: On the first anniversary of its inaugural issue, NEED magazine picked up big honors at the Minnesota Magazine & Publishers Association awards ceremony on Thursday. In addition to a Gold Overall Excellence Award for special interest magazines with circulation below 60,000, it took home golds for Best Use of Photography/Visuals and Best Overall Design. Download a pdf of all winners.

Headline check: Local media watchers are keeping tabs on Star Tribune headlines. Rob Levine points out a story about how “over the past 45 months, Minnesota’s year-over-year job growth has been slower than the national average nearly 90 percent of the time.” The headline could’ve been as straight as: “Minnesota trails national job growth for years.” Instead, they went with a more “opaque” choice: “Salad days of Minnesota job growth have run course.” And Liberal Media Elite points out this bit of opinion: “3 leading Republicans take tough stance on terrorism, torture.”

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