Minnesota Independent

Hannity and Ellison tussle over Fox’s portrayal of Muslims

By Andy Birkey | 04.21.11 | 12:16 pm

Conservative Fox News commentator Sean Hannity went after Rep. Keith Ellison in an interview Wednesday evening, criticizing the Minnesota congressman for saying Fox News has contributed to the scapegoating of Muslims. “I don’t apologize for it,” Ellison said. “If you are telling me you are going to be more even-handed on issues of religious tolerance, that’s a good step, and I thought that by inviting me here, I thought that’s what you were trying to do.”

Bachmann called out for mis-stating Obama aide’s view of healthcare jobs impact

By Chris Steller | 12.15.09 | 9:38 am

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann claimed again Monday that Christina Romer, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, estimated health care reform would cost 5.5 million jobs. Last month PolitiFact called that claim “problematic and contrary”…

Fox’s Gretchen Carlson: ‘Crack research’ finds only two clunkers for cash in state

By Chris Steller | 08.04.09 | 12:20 pm

What kind of “crack research” is Fox’s Gretchen Carlson smoking? The Fox & Friends co-host and former Miss Minnesota claimed today that after spending “a tremendous amount of time” researching the issue, she found that only two cash-for-clunkers…

Conservatives: Kitchen-sinkism is only politics Dems aren’t guilty of … yet

By Chris Steller | 04.09.09 | 5:03 pm

Bill Clinton may have wanted to nail down the definition of “is,” but right-leaning critics of the Democrat-controlled federal government seem happy to use “-ism” loosely. In only the last three months, media conservatives have accused President Obama and…

Media Monitor: Tragedy in Shakopee — and more media news

By Paul Schmelzer | 11.14.08 | 1:54 pm

Shakopee reporter Ruth Anne Maddox (pictured) was murdered this week, and her paper is flooded with stories and notes by her readers and co-workers. The Mankato Free Press shuts down its online forum as a casualty of Election ’08. And Media Matters takes issue with a local writer’s New York Times account of the Franken/Coleman recount.

Media Monitor: A new NEED, Cursor closes and the Strib in the sights

By Paul Schmelzer | 10.27.08 | 10:44 am

As Minneapolis’ NEED magazine gets new life after a January burglary, an old standby of progressive news, the link aggregator Cursor.org, goes on hiatus. Meanwhile circulation sinks again at the Star Tribune as Media Matters questions the timing of its editor’s decree about columnists refraining from partisanship.

KTLK host Chris Baker: ‘I’m not that excited about women voting’

By Paul Demko | 10.03.08 | 10:20 am

Chris Baker desperately wants attention. It’s rather sad and pathetic. So we probably shouldn’t do him the favor. But given that Baker somehow commands four hours of air time each weekday in the Twin Cities market, it’s worth…