About the Twin Cities Daily Planet
The Twin Cities Daily Planet, a project of the Twin Cities Media Alliance, is a community newswire and syndication service showcasing the best work of the neighborhood and community press, as well as work by independent journalists and the voices of engaged citizens.
The Twin Cities Daily Planet is conceived as an experiment in participatory journalism, built on a partnership between professional journalists and individual citizens. Collectively, the residents of the Twin Cities have far more expertise and insight than can be found in any one newsroom. The premise of the TC Daily Planet is that new technologies are making it possible for these citizens to become more active and powerful participants in the news production process. One goal of the Daily Planet is to harness that community intelligence and enable individuals to share information and work together for the common good.
The Twin Cities Media Alliance is a nonprofit organization that brings together media professionals and engaged citizens to improve the quality, accountability and diversity of the local media. Funding for the Twin Cities Media Alliance is provided by the McKnight Foundation, the Minneapolis Foundation, Headwaters Foundation for Justice, Otto Bremer Foundation, Still Ain’t Satisfied Foundation, J-Lab – the Institute for Interactive Journalism at the University of Maryland, the McCormick Tribune Foundation, the Digital Inclusion Fund, the St. Paul Foundation and by generous individuals who become members of the Daily Planet.
RESOURCES FOR CITIZENS AND JOURNALISTS
Resources for Citizen Journalists
Resources for Neighborhood Organizations
Classes and Training for Citizen Journalists
TWIN CITIES DAILY PLANET STAFF
Editor
Mary Turck
Associate Editor/Arts Editor
Jay Gabler
Neighborhoods Editor/St. Paul Community Outreach
Lisa Peterson-de la Cueva
TWIN CITIES MEDIA ALLIANCE STAFF
Executive Director
Jeremy Iggers
Operations Manager
Emily Pearson Ryan
TWIN CITIES MEDIA ALLIANCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair: Richard Broderick, professor, Anoka-Ramsey Community College
Vice chair: Barry Madore, web developer, Advantage Labs
Secretary: Pam Colby, executive director, Minneapolis Television Network
Treasurer: Sheldon Mains, independent technology consultant
Lauretta Dawolo, news director, KFAI Community Radio
Diane Hang Garvey, Hmong Arts Connection
Howard Kling, director, Labor Education Service, U. of M
Greg Patterson, reporter, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Troy Pieper, ARP! (Arts Review and Preview)
WRITERS
The TC Daily Planet is proud to publish articles from our media partners as well as original writing by freelance citizen journalists. Dozens of writers have contributed original reporting to the TC Daily Planet; listed below are some of our regular contributors. (For bloggers, see our blogs page.)
Madeleine Baran
Jon Behm
Rich Broderick
Jim Brunzell III
Sylvia Burgos
Cyn Collins
Colette Davidson
Rachel Dykoski
Jason Ericson
Jaclyn Evert
Ariah Fine
Jeanette Fordyce
Ellen Frazel
Jean Gabler
Dan Gordon
Joel Grostephan
Dan Haugen
Dwight Hobbes
Jennifer Holder
Lydia Howell
Issa A. Mansaray
Erik McClanahan
Douglas McGill
Rebecca Mitchell
Betsy Mowry
Andrea Myers (now Andrea Swensson)
Anne Nicolai
Michael Opperman
Nekessa Opoti
Teresa Ortiz
Brian Peterson
Deb Pleasants
Katrina Plotz
Christopher Pommier
Anna Pratt
Mason Riddle
Liz Riggs
Scott Russell
James Sanna
Justin Schell
David Seitz
Melissa Slachetka
Stephen Sporer
Kathlyn Stone
Mary Thoemke
Jamie Thomas
Mark Weaver
Alan Wilfahrt
Cyrus Wolff
Hibo Khalaf: Citizen-in-waiting on July 4
Sitting behind the reception desk at the International Institute of Minnesota (IIM), Hibo Khalaf displays both poise and professionalism. However, it was not too long ago she stood on the other side of the desk. When her family first arrived here as refugees five years ago, they needed IIM to help with their adjustment to American life. Now as Independence Day looms, Khalaf feels a stronger connection to her adopted homeland. Any day now, she will be sworn in as a US citizen. MORE »
THEATER | Cirque du Soleil's "Kooza": A big flippin' deal
Near the beginning of Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza, a large number of grinning men and women in festive, ambiguously ethnic dress come hopping out with their arms spread wide, performing flips and pirouettes as a multitiered bandshell rolls forward. Brass blares, drums thump, and lights flash wildly as a shapely singer winds her hips and sings ecstatic praises in nonsense syllables. It’s a convincing dramatization of the reception President Bush expected American troops to receive when they arrived in Baghdad. MORE »
Duncan Jones's "Moon" landing in Uptown
Director and Writer Duncan Jones, who has established a notorious reputation for controversial fare in the advertising arena, started out as a wild-cam operator for Tony Scott (True Romance, Man on Fire), before going on to work as an assistant director for cerebral promo and commercials director Walter Stern. After a stint in the computer games biz, Duncan created the CG/live action commercial Blade Jogger, which won a top award at the UK’s Kodak Student Commercial Competition, and his short film Whistle, which has screened at festivals around the world and numerous times on Film Four in the UK. MORE »
Arts Orbit Radar: 7/2/09
This week’s picks
Thursday, July 2
On the radar: There are a lot of people who still get really excited when Soul Asylum perform, and there are a lot of people who think the Roots are even cooler now that they’re Jimmy Fallon’s house band. If you’re among either of those groups, your evening plans are set. It’s also the annual Hmong Freedom Celebration, and this year emcee Tou SaiKo is helping to organize an all-out two-day hip-hop battle associated with the event.
Under the radar: Fringe favorite Allegra Lingo is at the BLB previewing her 2009 show, and if you really want to feel that out-in-the-street rock ‘n’ roll spirit, there’s a battle of the bands going down on “the legendary streets of Richfield.”
Friday, July 3
On the radar: Tonight, glam and spectacle rule: Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza opens in St. Paul, African fashion show ExtraVaaKhangha rolls out at the Graves 601 (relocated from the suddenly shuttered Trocaderos), and Judas Priest tastes Minnesota.
Under the radar: CONvergence will bring sci-fi fans from all over the country to Bloomington, and our peeps at l’etoile will be there to greet them with smiles, syle, video art, and vodka. If you’re looking for a more conventional evening of entertainment, stop by the Celtic Junction for Pop Wagner’s 60th birthday bash; it also serves as a fundraiser for medical expenses Wagner has incurred after a horse-riding injury. MORE »
ExtraVaaKhanga brings African-inspired fashion to downtown Minneapolis
This weekend downtown Minneapolis will welcome an international showcase of multicolored design when it hosts the 2009 ExtraVaaKhanga fashion show, a three-day celebration of African influence on international fashion. The headlining event is a multi-designer runway show on Friday at 8:00 p.m. at the Graves 601 Hotel. The show gets its name from the colorful khanga, a patterned garment traditionally worn in East and Central Africa, which has been recently adopted by contemporary African designers. MORE »
MOVIES | Larry David in Woody Allen's "Whatever Works": Flawed but funny
Having directed his last four films abroad, director Woody Allen returns to his beloved New York for his 40th feature, Whatever Works, which opens this Friday at the Lagoon Cinema. Many of Allen’s fans will not only rejoice to see New York as his backdrop again, but will appreciate the casting of Larry David to play the “Woody Allen” role that Allen himself played up until the mid-90s: the atheist, neurotic leading male looking for love and disapproving of everyone along the way. (David had minor roles in two previous Allen films; in Radio Days, he played the communist neighbor.) MORE »
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