Focus: “Minnesota’s Best News…One Location.” Minnesota news curation and aggregation site; multimedia; according to Poynter article with founder, 10 percent of content is original reporting. Curated content comes from radio outlets, national news sites such as Politico.com, television, newspapers, and press releases.

Started: September 2009

Staff: Founding partners are Rick Kupchella, a former broadcast investigative reporter television anchor in Minneapolis, and Don Smithmier, the former vice president of Capella University. Website lists 7 other employees, including a managing editor, anchor, news producer, and operations director.

Funding: commercial sponsorships; received $1 million investment, according to Aug. 9, 2010 MinnPost story

Site: bringmethenews.com

From About:

At BringMeTheNews.com, we look for the best stories that impact our readers: Minnesotans. We filter through hundreds of online news and non-traditional sources — and we’re committed to reporting of our own.

Developed by award-winning Twin Cities investigative journalist and TV news anchor, Rick Kupchella, BringMeTheNews delivers the most relevant stories around the state. We filter through hundreds of news stories every day and link to some of the best non-traditional sources available — like industry reports, experts and blogs.

We take the news to the airwaves. And online.

BringMeTheNews extends out from the Web site as a leading provider of important news and information in a growing network of radio stations — starting with Cities 97 FM, KOOL 108 FM and KFAN online.

We’re making it easy for you to know and discuss the latest news with your networks of friends, using social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter.

Sample stories: “Minneapolis: state cuts will eat into basic road repair” (Minnesota.publicradio.org); “U of M study links chemical in chili peppers with skin cancer” (www1.umn.edu); “State business group urges Pawlenty to ease up his resistance to federal health care money” (WCCO.com); “There are jobs out there, but employers are struggling to find the right candidates” (StarTribune.com)

Media mentions: article “How a Former TV News Anchor Started a Profitable Online News Site” at Poynter.org; Hart Van Denburg’s blog Telling Stories, a Q&A with Mr. Kupchella after site launch

Focus: “A thoughtful approach to news”; original reporting on state, regional news, politics, health, science, business, sports; a “community voices” section; blogger commentary; book club; multi-media component; national/world news from Christian Science Monitor news service

Started: 2007 (end of)

Staff: CEO, Editor Joel Kramer started project; other staff are a managing editor, web editor, director of operations, editor, news editor, advertising director; launched with 25 journalists contribution agreement

Funding: non-profit: start-up funding of $850,000 came from four families, according to site; foundation support from James L. Knight Foundation; Blandin Foundation to launch Greater Minnesota Project; as of June 30, 2008, site had 904 member-donors contributing from $10 to $10,000, according to site; advertising sold. 

Site: minnpost.com

Our mission is to provide high-quality journalism for news-intense people who care about Minnesota. We intend to focus sharply on that mission, and not get distracted by trying to be all things or serve all people.

MinnPost.com provides news and analysis Monday through Friday, based on reporting by professional journalists, most of whom have decades of experience in the Twin Cities media.

…Our goal is to create a sustainable business model for this kind of journalism, supported by corporate sponsors, advertisers, and members who make annual donations. High-quality journalism is a community asset that sustains democracy and quality of life, so we are asking people who believe in it to support our work.

Sample stories: “Teamsters’ early endorsement of Rybak unusual boost for ‘unofficial’ guv candidate”; “Scientist offers dire scenario at climate-change symposium in Minneapolis”; “Update: Amid ‘tough week’ of turmoil, Minnesota ACORN folks say they’re continuing outreach work”

Media Mentions: from Knight Foundation press release, August 2007: “MinnPost to launch later this year with partial funding from Knight Foundation”; N