MinnPost.com (not to be confused with parked site mnpost.com or news aggregate site minnesotapost.com), a Web only, not-for-profit news organization run by a bunch of laid-off or otherwise out-of-work Minnesota reporters has launched (sort of):

“MinnPost.com is for Minnesotans who are intensely interested in the world around them and want more insight and analysis than they’re getting from their media choices today,” said Joel Kramer, editor and CEO of the new not-for-profit enterprise, who served as editor of the Star Tribune in the 1980s and as publisher and president in the 1990s. “It will combine the best of traditional journalism with new forms of newsgathering and story-telling made possible by the Internet.”

But will it work?

My first impression of the site is this: Where’s the news? It seems like a horrible idea to pretty much launch a site–a news site–and the only news is a list of reporters and a news release declaring the upcoming launch of the site.

My second impression with the site is this: It looks like a blog, but it is not a blog as we know them today. The design flat out sucks. It might not be fair to say that, considering the lack of stuff to fill the page.

My third impression: What is the Web strategy? It is to be an online news source, after all. There’s no RSS, there’s no images (yet), there’s no video, there’s nothing but text and a few links. And they expect to compete with the Strib or the Pioneer Press? This whole site feels old. It’s certainly no Politico or Voice of San Diego right now.

My understanding is that they’re trying to tap into the news junkie market, to MPR listeners and to readers with a political slant, but I don’t know if launching a bare bones site with no features– a site geared towards news junkies–was the way to do it. At best this looks like a soft launch site with the marketing of a hard launch. Not good.

However, looking at the list of reporters, it should be interesting to see what they do. And to see if they can keep afloat as a non-profit, which has been a big talking point this year for many media bloggers. But right now: Yuck.

Here’s a few suggestions:

• Open yourself up to suggestions about your launch, build a community around your product. Start a blog (a real blog). Let people know what’s going on behind the scenes and let people have input.
• Seriously consider re-branding, too. The URL is confusing as it stands and it’s in a cluttered field of similarly named sites.
• Build a community! If this is just another top down news organization, what’s the point? What differentiates you from Pioneer Press, the Star Tribune and, heck, even Minnesota Daily? I want to see a site where I can be as close to the news process as paid reporters and editors. I want to see a site where Little League baseball matters and is reported . Think about Wikis, think about tiered news gathering.
• Read this
• And then read this

Update More on MinnPost.com:

Editor & Publisher
New York Times
Minnesota Public Radio
The Rake
Minnesota Monitor
Bob Stepno
Eyeteeth interview with Joel Kramer
The Deets

I’m not sure what I should be most upset about with the article “Several bystanders witness St. Paul apartment hallway rape.” There’s so much to think about.

First, there was an alleged rape. Rapes are bad and rapists are scum.

Second, there were bystanders who did nothing to stop said alleged rape. It’s a damn shame what fear can do to a person when another is in need of help.

Lastly, the reporting of said rape and said bystanders doesn’t bother saying it was an alleged rape. The Star Tribune comes out and convicts the guy: “When police arrived they learned there had been a rape.” In fact, the word “alleged” isn’t even in the story.

Whether or not the reporters saw any tapes showing the accused hitting and possibly raping the victim, the media are not the law. The media are not a jury. And the media certainly shouldn’t be the judge.

I don’t mean for this to come across as a defense for the accused rapist with the peculiar name, Rage. I mean this to come across as a plea for the media’s respect of one of the basic tenets of the American law: innocent until proven guilty.

I expect the Star Tribune to be more responsible in its crime coverage from here on out.

Addendum: The last two paragraphs are crass and have no bearing on this supposed crime. If you want to write about this phenomena, write about this phenomena. Don’t hide it behind this this particular event.

That is all.