The Minnesota Independent

rachel stassen-berger - Latest Stories

Media Monitor: Defunct community paper sued; health care forum goes online

By Paul Schmelzer | 08.12.09 | 11:40 am

Community papers can’t catch a break: As the Minneapolis paper formerly known at The Bridge shuts down — even, apparently, online — a paper that stopped publishing two years finds itself on the receiving end of a lawsuit. Also, to sidestep mayhem at health care forums, local social media experts are trying a more civil exchange online.

As world awaits order in senate trial, sideshows and catcalls continue

By Chris Steller | 04.10.09 | 10:09 am

As both sides in the Norm Coleman-Al Franken U.S. Senate dispute await the election-contest court’s climactic ruling that could come at any time (like maybe today … please?), here’s a quick review of what else has been going on: partisan sideshows, another newspaper editorial, and a call for the media to call it like it is — Coleman lost.

The UpTake’s Kunin on Coleman’s rejected ballots list

By Paul Schmelzer | 02.04.09 | 1:47 pm

When it comes to rejection and Norm Coleman’s campaign, Noah Kunin knows a thing or two. As senior political correspondent for The UpTake, he’s seen his questions ignored at Coleman press conferences; his colleagues have been refused access to campaign “media availabilities”; and the state GOP chair called The UpTake a “partisan, liberal blog” as a way of attacking Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, who referenced The UpTake’s video feeds in an email.

But what Kunin wasn’t prepared for was the rejection of his absentee ballot.

Reporters tried for days and weeks to get Coleman’s reply to charges

By Chris Steller | 02.02.09 | 2:50 pm

strib-still-norm-suvTwo Star Tribune reporters have answered the charges former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman made yesterday against them. Coleman told WCCO-TV the reporters ambushed him last October with questions about alleged money funneling and…