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The Minnesota Independent is hiring a reporter/blogger to cover politics in Minnesota at the state, county and local levels.
We’re looking for a passionate reporter who can combine the best of traditional journalism with the new paradigms of the Internet and use blogging to develop the narratives of longer-form reporting. A key criterion in measuring success [...]

“What is news now?” The topic, complicated enough on its own, is one Minnesota Independent editor Paul Schmelzer will be addressing tonight at 7 p.m. at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis — but with some limitations. Echoing the quick-hit world of blogs and Twitter, he’s been asked to do a pecha-kucha-style presentation on the [...]

For decades, political campaign art had more in common with Menard’s than Milton Glaser: the graphic designer — whose job was to sell candidates through an expected visual language of flag-toned stars and/or bars — took the back seat, while the well-funded media buyer got the front. Then came Barack Obama. His campaign, lead by design director Scott Thomas, enlisted designer Sol Sender to both create a memorable identity and advance the lessons of Howard Dean’s surprise “netroots” surge of 2004. On May 12, Thomas and Sender will discuss the development of the Obama campaign in a panel called, “Designing Obama” — and Minnesota Independent editor Paul Schmelzer will be moderating the evening.

The Minnesota Independent will be taking home eight 2009 Society of Professional Journalists Page One Awards, including one first place, according to emails sent by the state chapter of the national organization

Naturally, Shepard Fairey, who created the ubiquitous poster of Barack Obama that eventually made the cover of TIME (in revised form), was dubbed artist of the year by one writer at City Pages. But when Paul Schmelzer, Minnesota Independent editor, was asked to make his pick for the Minneapolis altweekly, he went for a less obvious choice: Trevor Paglen. An experimental geographer based at the University of California – Berkeley, Paglen has long tried to peer into the murk of the U.S. government’s “black” world, which makes up around $30 billion of the annual budget.

Paul Schmelzer, managing editor of the Minnesota Independent, is the guest speaker at October’s Twin Cities Media Alliance Brown Bag Lunch to be held Wednesday, Oct. 22, at the East Lake Library in Minneapolis. Winner of the prestigious Frank Premack and SPJ Page One awards for journalistic excellence, he’ll discuss online journalism, including the site’s [...]

The Associated Press is reporting that James Carabelli, the chair of the Macomb County Republican party, is suing the Michigan Messenger and its parent organization, the non-profit Center for Independent Media, over the Messenger’s report last month in which Carabelli was quoted as saying the party planned to use lists of foreclosed [...]

Iowa-based conservative advocacy group includes masterminds of Swift Boat and Willie Horton ads

By Jason Hancock, Iowa Independent

A network of Iowa Republicans is playing a leading role in a secretive group advocating nationally on behalf of “conservative and free market ideals” in congressional races around the country. Among the group’s leaders are two media consultants who played key roles in the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads in 2004 and the Willie Horton ad in 1988, both of which helped defeat Democratic presidential candidates.

Renowned scientist, atheist, blogger (Pharyngula) and University of Minnesota-Morris professor Dr. Paul "PZ" Myers is embroiled in a war of words with the Catholic League and its president, William Donohue, over communion wafers. The controversy began when Myers weighed in on the story of Webster Cook, a university student who caused a stir by [...]

Minnesota Independent picked up three prizes at Thursday night’s Society of Professional Journalists Page One Awards banquet, and two of its writers received honors for work written prior to coming to the Independent.
Managing editor Paul Schmelzer won a first place for best independent online news story for his analysis on news coverage of the death [...]