Special Sections
Journalism camp teaches importance of free speech
For the past 10 years, high school students from across the Twin Cities have been coming to the University of St. Thomas to attend ThreeSixty Journalism’s summer camps.MORE »
Black women have things to say. This young activist wants them heard.
Julia Nekessa Opoti labors in a perfect field of endeavor to make a telling difference in society. She is producer-host of Reflections of New Minnesotans, an hour-long radio show at AM950 (KTNF), 2 pm on Saturdays with co-host Siyad Abdullahi.MORE »
MN VOICES | Tenzin Pelkyi: From refugee family to U of M law student
In a coffee shop full of University of Minnesota students behind glowing screens in the peak of finals weekend study hours, there is nothing outwardly remarkable about Tenzin Pelkyi. Her quiet demeanor and small stature are in stark contrast to this college senior’s accomplishments, life story and dedication to advocating for human rights of the Tibetan people and of the diaspora.MORE »
Fear and Loathing in St. Paul?
Gonzo journalism brings to mind images of Hunter Thompson; drugs, sex and rock 'n roll; psychedelic buses and campaign trails.MORE »
MN VOICES | Playing nice with DJ Shannon Blowtorch, an entertainer who's making a difference
Shannon Blowtorch, one of the Twin Cities’ busiest DJs, knows the local queer nightlife scene like few others—which means that she knows a unified “queer scene” doesn’t exist. “The gay boys have their own thing going on. The lesbians don’t have their own bar, but there are different nights in the Twin Cities that work for them.” And then there are the indie queers, who prefer the likes of Le Tigre to Justin Bieber. There’s the Berlin dance night for them…and then there are dance nights Blowtorch helps run for queer women of color. “We see Somalis, Chinese, Indians...it’s pretty beautiful to see that happen in the Midwest.”MORE »
World Press Freedom Day and keeping Dina Meza alive
May 3 is World Press Freedom Day. Today is a day to think about Dina Meza, because today — as far as I know — she is still alive. Tomorrow ... that's hard to say. Dina Meza is a journalist in Honduras, where 26 journalists have been killed in the past decade, 19 of them since the 2009 coup, and two of them this year. Why is Dina Meza a journalist to think about today? Here's her story, from Reporters Without Borders:MORE »
A new media manifesto: Set my content free
“Are you really coming out against Record Store Day?” my friend wrote in an e-mail. “Like, for real, not just in an attempt to gain online traction?”
I stopped and thought about it. It had been a few days since I wrote a post titled “Why I’m Not Celebrating Record Store Day,” and in retrospect it did seem a little strange. Had I actually become a person who would rip on record stores?
Well, yes and no.MORE »
Should news publications get on Pinterest?
Today on the Zeus Jones blog, Becky Lang argues that the hot new social networking site Pinterest is suitable for some brands—"products that have a connection to the world of design, emotion, inspiration"—and not others ("Products like, say—aspirin, are going to feel out of place unless you get real creative"). Are news organizations like the Daily Planet brands that should be on Pinterest?MORE »
MN VOICES | Mahmoud El-Kati's half century as educator and activist in the Twin Cities
Mahmoud El-Kati has an interesting face. He looks stern until he smiles, which he does frequently, and he maintains a direct gaze animated by the rise and fall of his arched brow; it expresses the intellectual nature of a man who has worked hard as an educator and civil rights activist over the past 50 years in the Twin Cities.MORE »
Minnesota Opera's "Madame Butterfly" Twitter experiment: Epic fail or surprising success?
This morning (Sunday, April 15) the local media Twittersphere is buzzing over a series of tweets issued last night by the Minnesota Opera's official Twitter account, @mnopera. After warning via Facebook that "someone is sneaking in to the opening night of Butterfly to tweet her super hip interpretation of what's really going on," the opera issued a series of irreverent, slang-filled tweets about the opera as it unfolded. Example: "Oh dayummm. Pinkerton’s totes a hawtie. Would be better w/hipster glasses & less showering."MORE »
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