I’m Still Here; He’s All Gone (?)
By Mitch Berg
Let it never be said that I ever wished ill on anyone (or at least anyone that didn’t have innocent blood on their hands). While I believe Nick Coleman is a mediocre columnist (with flashes of brilliance, I hasten to add, when he puts away the Junior Studs Terkel kit and writes the stuff he does well – the slice of Twin Cities life stuff he actually can do), I’d rather have him at the Strib than out of work. I’ll never wish for someone (especially someone with kids to take care of) to be out of work.
Besides – while I’ve tired of fisking the guy, Coleman’s always been a reliable source of material.
But, according to Brauer, perhaps the gift of content that is Nick Coleman is about to stop giving:
According to a buyout memo released this afternoon and newsroom sources, Nick Coleman and Katherine Kersten will lose their columns, though they may be able to remain at the paper as reporters.
To put it mildly, that would be a stretch for Kersten, who has never held such a journalism job.
Brauer says that like it’s a bad thing. Dave – you do know that many of us live happy, productive lives without ever putting the “j” word on our resume, don’t you?
Expect a gigantic eruption from the right wing.
…as if “the right wing” didn’t expect the Strib’s management would chafe at the notion of dissent in the ranks.
December 16th, 2008 at 8:26 am
[…] Everyone in the Twin Cities knows that the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has hit some very hard times, and that started when the economy still boomed. Two years ago, the paper sold for half of its sale value from just a few years before. Avista Capital Partners has already had run-ins with its creditors even at that price, and now the cuts have begun in earnest, according to the MinnPost (via Mitch Berg): Star Tribune management is blowing up their columnist roster. […]
December 16th, 2008 at 9:25 am
“with flashes of brilliance, I hasten to add…”
That’s it. No more blogging by flashlight for you young man.
December 16th, 2008 at 11:51 am
If this is true, then I would imagine both Kersten and Coleman might utilize blogging as an outlet. That in and of itself would be rich given how Coleman condescends to “bah-law-gers. ”
But my greater point is no one on the right would care enough to follow a Coleman blog, much less continue fisking his screeds. But Katherine Kersten? Nobody stalks a conservative writer better than leftist loons.
December 16th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
No more blogging by flashlight for you young man.
Heh.
Nah, I give credit where it’s due. Coleman is not a great columnist – but he’s had his moments.
Not enough to wash the stink of his 35W Bridge Collapse coverage out of our nostrils, of course, but it’d be inaccurate to say he’s not written something good.