Worst newspaper in America taken to court

Powerline linked to this AP article about the court battle going on between the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press about purloined information and non-compete agreements. Powerline rightly points out that had another business behaved in this manner, the Tribune would be outraged.

As a St. Paul native I am personally amused the new owners of the Trib raided the PP for management talent. Around Christmas 2005 when I last looked at a hard copies of both papers side by side, it seemed to me that PP management had a much better handle on how to carve out a niche around 24/7 cable news and internet coverage.

The PP had a lot less space devoted to day old national news and more space for local stories and human interest. It was enjoyable to read stories not found elsewhere. The Trib's front page emphasis on national issues and its relentlessly PC feature articles made it just another stale, boring NY Times wannabe.

Thomas Lifson adds: As a Minneapolis native, it has been painful for me to observe the decline of my hometown paper into left wing mediocrity. On my visits to Minnesota I have taken to reading the PP because it is less painful. Minneapolis people do not like to admit that anything in St. Paul is better (ask someone from Dallas about Ft. Worth, or a Seattle native about Tacoma), but the State Capitol and PP both have no equal on the west side of the Mississippi.

The Strib's new owners cannot afford too many mis-steps. The paper has been run into the ground and lost credibility.