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About the Twin Cities Daily Planet
The Twin Cities Daily Planet, a project of the Twin Cities Media Alliance, is a community newswire and syndication service showcasing the best work of the neighborhood and community press, as well as work by independent journalists and the voices of engaged citizens.
The Twin Cities Daily Planet is conceived as an experiment in participatory journalism, built on a partnership between professional journalists and individual citizens. Collectively, the residents of the Twin Cities have far more expertise and insight than can be found in any one newsroom. The premise of the TC Daily Planet is that new technologies are making it possible for these citizens to become more active and powerful participants in the news production process. One goal of the Daily Planet is to harness that community intelligence and enable individuals to share information and work together for the common good.
The Twin Cities Media Alliance is a nonprofit organization that brings together media professionals and engaged citizens to improve the quality, accountability and diversity of the local media. Funding for the Twin Cities Media Alliance is provided by the McKnight Foundation, the Minneapolis Foundation, Headwaters Foundation for Justice, Otto Bremer Foundation, Still Ain’t Satisfied Foundation, J-Lab – the Institute for Interactive Journalism at the University of Maryland, the McCormick Tribune Foundation, the Digital Inclusion Fund, the St. Paul Foundation and by generous individuals who become members of the Daily Planet.
RESOURCES FOR CITIZENS AND JOURNALISTS
Resources for Citizen Journalists
Resources for Neighborhood Organizations
Classes and Training for Citizen Journalists
TWIN CITIES DAILY PLANET STAFF
Editor
Mary Turck
Associate Editor/Arts Editor
Jay Gabler
Neighborhoods Editor/St. Paul Community Outreach
Lisa Peterson-de la Cueva
Photo Editor
Bonnie Wilson
Interns
Cass Sanford
James Sanna
TWIN CITIES MEDIA ALLIANCE STAFF
Executive Director
Jeremy Iggers
Operations Manager
Emily Pearson Ryan
WRITERS
The TC Daily Planet is proud to publish articles from our media partners as well as original writing by freelance citizen journalists. Dozens of writers have contributed original reporting to the TC Daily Planet; listed below are some of our regular contributors. (For bloggers, see our blogs page.)
Jon Behm
Rich Broderick
Jim Brunzell III
Sylvia Burgos
Cyn Collins
Colette Davidson
Rachel Dykoski
Jason Ericson
Ariah Fine
Jeanette Fordyce
Jean Gabler
Dan Gordon
Joel Grostephan
Dan Haugen
Dwight Hobbes
Jennifer Holder
Lydia Howell
Issa A. Mansaray
Douglas McGill
Rebecca Mitchell
Betsy Mowry
Andrea Myers
Anne Nicolai
Michael Opperman
Nekessa Opoti
Teresa Ortiz
Brian Peterson
Deb Pleasants
Katrina Plotz
Christopher Pommier
Anna Pratt
Mason Riddle
Liz Riggs
Scott Russell
Justin Schell
David Seitz
Melissa Slachetka
Stephen Sporer
Kathlyn Stone
Mary Thoemke
Mark Weaver
Cyrus Wolff
Deficit looms over legislative session
“The deficit is so overwhelming that it’s hard to even think about what the other issues would be,” said Senator Sandy Pappas (D-St. Paul), expressing what might be the only easy consensus about the legislative session that begins January 6. From higher education to green jobs to child care to roads and bridges, the deficit looms over all other issues. MORE »
Handmade toys in jeopardy?
Toy-makers from China to Snelling Avenue will feel the effects of new child safety legislation. Here in Minnesota, makers of hand-crafted toys say the new law may put them out of business. MORE »
MUSIC | The legacy of One World
When Stanley Kipper, Chico Perez, and Joel “Family Man” Arpin got together as the nucleus of One World—a 1991 fusion of R&B, soul, and Latin rock culled straight from the old San Francisco sound—they couldn’t’ve had the first idea what they’d wind up doing for Twin Cities music. Surely, they thought they were just starting a band, not forming the genesis of five outstanding acts. MORE »
BOOKS | "Skirmish": Bitterly funny poetry from Dobby Gibson
To be honest, I’ve never been an avid reader of poetry. I have nothing against poems, but for some reason my mind wants words on a page to present themselves as prose, and balks at taking them seriously when they’re organized in rhymed couplets, sonnet form, or—God forbid—free verse. When verse is set to music, I can generally handle it better. One reason I found Minneapolis poet Dobby Gibson’s new collection, Skirmish, so enjoyable is that his combination of mordant wit and bittersweet longing so recalls the lyrics of my favorite songwriter, Bob Dylan. MORE »
The Daily Planet's top ten stories of 2008
It’s been quite a year in the Twin Cities, and the Daily Planet has been on the scene. With the help of our media partners and our tireless citizen journalists, in 2008 we published over 10,000 articles, blog entries, photos, and event listings. When we saw that the Minnesota Independent had tallied their top ten most-read articles for the year, we were inspired to check the stats and see what articles Daily Planet readers found most fascinating in 2008. MORE »
Arts Orbit Weekly: 1/1/09
This week’s picks
Thursday, January 1
Swing by your local video store to rent a copy of Wall-E, the animated film that’s shaping up to be the surprise critical favorite of 2008.
Friday, January 2
“While some bands find Rock ‘N’ Roll after taking the most circuitous path possible,” writes Jon Behm, “Nightinghales take a straight path from A to B minor.” Catch them tonight at the 331 Club, where Dwight Hobbes praises the courteous barstaff—who don’t “saunter over with a kiss-my-grits disposition like they’re doing you a favor to let you spend your bread.” MORE »
