Press

City elections tend not to draw much attention from the mainstream media, but there’s plenty to talk about in advance of Minneapolis’ election day on Tuesday: the inaugural use of ranked-choice voting, a mayoral race that’s been short on debate between the incumbent and his challengers, and city council races in all 13 wards. Reporters [...]

Technorati’s just-updated list of U.S. politics blogs has a new addition: The Minnesota Independent now makes the cut, and after starting out at number 34, we’re now ranked 29th in the top 100 list, with Technorati authority at 762 on a scale of 1,000. Thanks to a new algorithm that calculates a blog’s authority, [...]

“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 [...]

Minnesota Independent politics reporter Paul Demko will be a guest on today’s edition of Quick on The UpTake on The Voice of Minnesota. Tune into KTNF at AM 950 or listen live online from 5:00 to 6:00 as Demko discusses the latest in state politics, including state Sen. Tarryl Clark’s bid to unseat Sixth Congressional [...]

A group monitoring issues surrounding the separation of church and state is urging Attorney General Eric Holder to revoke an earmark to Minnesota Teen Challenge, a Christian chemical dependency treatment center based in Minneapolis. In a letter to Holder, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State argue that MNTC has used taxpayer money [...]

With all eyes on Minnesota these days thanks to Al Franken, Norm Coleman and Michele Bachmann, Minnesota Independent reporter Chris Steller returns to The Guy James Show, an online radio program based in Florida, this afternoon to discuss local politics. Last week, Steller spoke with James about Rep. Bachmann’s characterization of the Obama administration’s dealings [...]

At last night’s Society of Professional Journalists Page One Awards banquet, the Minnesota Independent took home four first place prizes, including Best Independent News Blog and Best Use of Mulitimedia by an Independent News Site for its coverage of the Republican National Convention. Headlined by NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw, the evening concluded with awards [...]

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

Now calling Washington, D.C., home, former Minnesota Independent reporter Abdi Aynte returns to the Twin Cities today to discuss the nuances of covering the local Somali community. A Washington correspondent for the BBC World Service, he’ll discuss how a community that may seem homogeneous to outsiders is truly diverse, highlighting how clan rivalries, ethnic and [...]