Steve Brandt is being pulled from the Star Tribune Minneapolis neighborhoods beat at the end of November.
There are no plans to replace him. I have always appreciated the hustle and commitment that Steve Brandt has shown in his coverage of Minneapolis neighborhoods. I have seen him pounding on doors of tenements, driving through blinding snowstorms to cover events, poking through dark alleys, and showing up at more than one meeting that I really didn't want him at. And I think that Star Tribune neighborhood coverage has significantly improved in recent years. It is hard to deal with strange streets, unknown people, and complex issues with long histories. But I have seen a number of neighborhood stories where the Star Tribune has gone the extra mile to get beyond the simplistic headlines and tell the deeper narrative - we have gotten to know people, the challenges they face, how they are trying to improve their communities, the long-term results. Believe me, neighborhood coverage by the Star Tribune was much worse in years past. Covering the urban beat meant taking the elevator and chatting with your political connections in city hall. The only time reporters ever dashed out to Jordan or the north side was when there were dead bodies on the sidewalk. As soon as they got some gory pictures and a few juicy quotes, they high-tailed it back to city hall. I worry that the removal of Steve Brandt from the neighborhoods beat could signal the return to some bad habits by the Star Tribune. Steve has been assigned to cover Minneapolis schools. I certainly support adequate coverage of Minneapolis schools, but not at the expense of Minneapolis neighborhoods. Anybody who wishes to share their thoughts on the removal of Steve Brandt and the importance of covering Minneapolis neighborhoods can contact assistant managing editor Robert Buoen at 612-673-1729, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jay Clark Cooper REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
