Secrets of the City

That’s too bad. I have some friends who worked on that publication. While Brauer is concerned about keeping journalists employed, it’s unlikely that any Strib Guild members are out of work because of this decision. MARQ was primarily written by freelancers (marketing products fall outside of Guild’s jurisdiction). The six cuts probably came from designers, art directors and marketing employees.

I hope Steve LeBeau, MARQ’s editor keeps his job. I met him at the Magazine Awards, when his magazine won a couple, and then again Saturday — as MARQ sponsored a fundraiser for People Serving People, the homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis. Very nice guy.

perhaps their sponsorship of PSP was just self-serving foresight.

miller -

Hey, freelancers are journalists, too! I used to be one and probably will be again …

That’s quite the vote of confidence for Kramer’s Folly, dbrauer….

Nothing Kramer-specific … the future is promised to no one, especially right now …

Ten years ago I listened to a talk at Marquette Univ. about how the economy is shifting to where we’ll all be contract-workers/freelancers. We’re close to that already, considering how freely people move from one company to the next.

Nonsence. I was promised a fying car, a summer vacation on the moon, and holographic television.

Don’t you read “Popular Mechanics?”

David -
Point taken. But your item could be confusing to the reader who isn’t familiar with the relationship between the news room and marketing at StarTribune. Journalists seem to be overly concerned with changes that affect other journalists, and less interested in the toll on other professions.

Marq was a dreadful idea in the first place that never should have been published. To call the articles journalism or the writers journalists is a slander on journalists. I think I mentioned this once when I was a journalist.

But what are all those Edina ladies going to read when they aren’t busy shopping at Chico’s?

Oh yeah, Twin Cities Luxury and Fashion.

Not meant to be a plug but a contextual link. I interviewed Joel Kramer at Ciceron.tv, so if you’re interested in MinnPost’s business model, you can watch it here.

I am continually amazed at how few publications and ad sellers ever contact ad buyers at smaller agencies. Five years ago I heard from a different ad sales person every day or so…now I don’t get contacted once a month. Perhaps it is a self fulfilling outcome? Never ask, never get.