Star Tribune Controversy and Resolution
On May 7, 2007, Lileks announced that his home paper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, was ending his column in the interest of budget cuts and putting him on a straight local news beat:
- My column will end a week from this Friday. (There’s a series of pieces I can’t wait to write.) After that, it's just-the-facts-ma'am - and I'll no longer be telecommuting, either. This means I will start burning my share of hydrocarbons like a good American. Hell, I may leave the vehicle running all day outside the building just to make up for lost time. Maybe I will put a green roof on the car to balance things out. Some turf, some switchgrass. It's murder on the paint but we all must do our part.
The move, which was forced by cuts in other parts of the Star Tribune's newsroom, drew criticism from many, including Dave Barry. Mike Argento, president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, said in reaction to the news:
- It's just a reflection of the sad state of the newspaper industry. Many of the people running newspapers don't have a vision. They're concerned with dollars and cents, and the bottom line. They should look at the future, not just slash and burn.
On June 5, 2007, the Star Tribune changed course and announced Lileks would serve as editor of buzz.mn, a new community site featuring content from Lileks and members alike. Buzz.mn ceased publication of new content in July 2009.
Read more about this topic: James Lileks
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