KSTP sticking to story

No surprise here.

KSTP official defends story on Ironworld; no retraction

They're sticking with the factually incorrect and misleading story they ran July 7 that implied that state taxpayers were getting robbed by the existence of Ironworld, even though the facility was operating with the Iron Range's own mining revenue and is now fiscally solvent as a nonprofit.

They're still wrong, but they're in TV and we aren't. TV is awesome and so are they. Tom Rukavina is threatening to take this to the News Council, an impartial, non-binding process that reviews journalistic practices. KSTP says they don't participate in News Council. I don't blame them; if they did, they would be at News Council 24 hours a day.

Hacks. Let's move on.

Range lawmakers decry KSTP story

For your viewing pleasure, here is a sternly-worded letter sent by members of the Iron Range legislative delegation to KSTP and most Minnesota media outlets regarding KSTP's hit job on Ironworld last week. This letter originated out of State Rep. and House Majority Leader Tony Sertich's office, is signed by the entire Range delegation and was written after KSTP's lame defense of the story over the weekend.

KSTP 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS/KSTP-TV
C/O: Rob Hubbard, General Manager
3415 University Ave.
Saint Paul, MN 55114-2099

Dear Mr. Hubbard:

The "investigative report" aired by KSTP on July 7th regarding Ironworld was not only outrageous, it contained out-right lies, gross inaccuracies and misleading conjecture. This careless journalism is both unprofessional and unacceptable. Regardless, it certainly does not pass as investigative reporting.

News anchor Leah McLean begins the piece by stating: "Even if you've never heard of Ironworld, it's still costing you money." This is patently false.

Not one cent of state dollars pays for the ongoing operation of Ironworld. The facility and staff are supported entirely by local resources, donations and non-profit assistance. Unlike, other state educational destinations such as Ft. Snelling, the History Center, the Science Museum, the Guthrie and the Minnesota Zoo, the state's taxpayers are not responsible for any funding of Ironworld. Ironworld does not receive state subsidies as you suggest.

Since it appears your reporters did not bother learning the facts, please allow us to explain. Multi-national mining corporations pay a production tax for every ton of natural resource they remove from our land. You can imagine with the current global demand for steel, the corporations are experiencing record profits. This taconite production tax is paid in-lieu of local property taxes. The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board is a state agency charged with distributing about 25% these non-taxpayer revenues. The other 75% of the production tax goes towards local cities, towns, and schools.

In defending this shoddy journalism, KSTP Assistant News Director Sam Zeff recently claimed in a local press story that if the money did not go to Ironworld then it would go into the state's general fund. This is completely false. Respectfully, Mr. Zeff has absolutely no idea what he's talking about. The resources would go towards local schools and cities.

Furthermore, we find it peculiar that you would use the ultra-conservative Taxpayers League as a source for this story. This right-wing advocacy group, which is secretly funded by only a handful of multi-millionaires, knows little about the rich history and tradition of the Iron Range, let alone Ironworld. These are the same anti-government folks that lobbied this past legislative session against additional education funding, support for our nursing homes and replacing the state's thirteen worst bridges.

The story is correct that the center is intended to preserve and promote the history and cultural heritage of Northern Minnesota, and we believe the facility and staff provide this important service to the entire state. Ironworld hosts a premier archive for local and regional genealogy and is used extensively by amateur and professional genealogists. It's disappointing the KSTP story failed to focus on the positive educational influence Ironworld provides.

We are proud that Ironworld is the largest museum complex in Minnesota outside of the metropolitan area and is visited by thousands of people every year. We believe it would be difficult to find a museum that is not subsidized to some extent at some level.

As Iron Rangers we are proud our history and culture. We are glad we have a museum that preserves and protects the history of Northern Minnesota because if we did not, stories such as yours might be relied upon as the truth.

This attempt at investigative journalism was lacking in both meaningful investigation and factual journalism. We suggest you issue a retraction immediately and correct these misleading statements. Frankly, we believe a station of your stature should hold themselves to a higher level of journalistic integrity. We expect a written reply to our concerns. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Rep. Tony Sertich
District 5B- Chisholm

Rep. Tom Rukavina
District 5A- Virginia

Rep. Tom Anzelc
District 3A- Balsam Township

Rep. Loren Solberg
District 3B- Grand Rapids

Rep. David Dill
District 6A- Crane Lake

Senator David Tomassoni
District 5- Chisholm

Senator Tom Saxhaug
District 3- Grand Rapids

CC: Lindsay Radford, KSTP News Director
Minnesota Media Outlets

Local media picks up on Ironworld/KSTP flap

The Mesabi Daily News, and sister publication Hibbing Daily Tribune, ran a story about KSTP's Ironworld hit piece from last week. Across the Range, readers collectively ask: "What is KSTP?"

Bill Hanna talked to the #2 in the KSTP newsroom, Iron Range Resources Commissioner Sandy Layman and others. Layman took former State Rep. and Taxpayer's League president Phil Krinkie to task for his comments in the original story because he was aware that major reorganization had already just been made to Ironworld when he made his comments.

Stunningly, KSTP is sticking to its false claims about the "waste" of taxpayer's general fund money. Ironworld draws its public subsidy from mining tax revenue paid by mines in lieu of local property taxes.

In a telephone interview Friday, KSTP Assistant News Director Sam Zeff, was asked if the story would have been more fair if it had explained Ironworld funding was from taconite production taxes paid by mining companies that do not pay property taxes.

“No. It was fair. It’s all tax money. The money isn’t just donated by the mining companies. If the IRRB didn’t exist the tax money would go into the state general fund,” he said.

Zeff said he is “completely comfortable with the piece” and thought it was a “fair and balanced and important story to tell during tough economic times.”

This is classic TV agenda-setting for you. For instance, I could say that if KSTP "didn't exist," people within 100 miles of the Twin Cities would be smarter. I can't prove it, but it sure feels right.

Especially during tough economic times.

Go to hell, KSTP

Let me begin by saying the way things have been done on the Iron Range hasn't always been perfect. It's an area with a unique governance structure because of our mining tax system and that system has taken time to make more efficient. There's been plenty to criticize and I've been one of the critics. But Twin Cities TV station KSTP took a cheap shot last night that mischaracterized Ironworld, the Iron Range and the very nature of the our how tax dollars are spent up here. Worse, they did it to make fun of the Iron Range, to raise their well-groomed eyebrows into the camera for the entertainment of their conservative suburban viewers.

Watch KSTP's story from last night's newscast.

The first problem with the story was the one I pointed out last week when I heard they were working on this. KSTP makes it sound like the state taxpayers are paying for Ironworld when that is just not true. Mining taxes pay for Ironworld and these taxes are paid by the mining companies in lieu of local property taxes. These funds are funneled through a state agency, Iron Range Resources, but the money belongs to the region, not the state. So the people who have the right to be angry about Ironworld are the residents of Iron Range cities, and most of them recognize the unique role Ironworld plays in preserving and sharing Iron Range culture.

Ironworld was a state-run attraction for decades. It struggled to find a purpose and spent a lot of money -- a LOT -- trying to figure out what it would and could be. There were many failures and lessons learned. Now Ironworld is run by a nonprofit and received a large endowment to begin the process of making Ironworld a stand-alone nonprofit attraction that is fiscally solvent.

But none of that came through in the story. Instead, Reporter Bob sticks a microphone into the face of strangers in the Twin Cities and asks them if they've "heard of Ironworld." They hadn't of course, but then again not many Iron Rangers have "heard" of KSTP. Then he sticks the microphone into the face of Iron Rangers and the worst he could find was someone who hadn't been to Ironworld in "a couple years." When's the last time you paid to go to the zoo, Bob?

KSTP deserves to be called out on this one. This story was an elaborate joke played on the hard working people of the Iron Range. We deserve to have culture and art, too. This is funded by local mining tax dollars, not the income tax dollars of people from Edina.

And screw you, too, Phil Krinkie and the "taxpayers" league. You'll look the other way in 2003 and now as officials funnel tens and hundreds of millions of actual state and federal taxpayer dollars into a real boondoggle, Excelsior Energy's Mesaba Energy Project, but then call our mining museum paid for by our Iron Range money a boondoggle.

I am quite prepared for the commenters who will ape the figures cited in the story about how "expensive" Ironworld is per visitor. But Ironworld is more than a "theme park." It documents our history and culture and it's finally operating in the black. You want to close it down? The money that funds it belongs to the people of the Iron Range, legally defined as residents of the taconite tax relief area. When they say to shut it down, we should. But they're renewing their commitment to a new Ironworld that will be self-sustaining.

Go to hell, KSTP. You're entitled to ask hard questions, but you're not allowed to demean our people and history.

UPDATE: Thanks to MNSpeak and Minnesota Public Radio for links and commentary.

KSTP readies hit piece on Iron Range landmark

A promo that aired on KSTP Channel 5 in the Twin Cities indicates that everyone's favorite news whore station is preparing a hit piece on Ironworld. "See what your state dollars are paying for" says one tag line of Monday night's "expose." Except I'm betting KSTP lacks the attention to nuance to realize that Ironworld recently spun off as an independent nonprofit and was granted some transitional funding by its former parent agency Iron Range Resources, which is funded entirely by mining funds that are, by statute, dedicated to the economic development, reclamation and cultural preservation of the Iron Range.

You're on notice, KSTP. If you say "taxpayer dollars" just once during your segment we're going to have a problem.

OOM PA PA!

It's the last Polkafest ever on the Iron Range! I can't believe I forgot to post this yesterday.

Today is the headline day for Polkafest at Ironworld in Chisholm. The Iron Range has hosted Polkafest since the 1980s, but this year it was announced that the event would be moving to Carlton next year.

Polka and the Iron Range have enjoyed a long relationship, but as the fan base has aged it's been harder to get people to drive up north to attend. So today brings a bittersweet celebration of a long tradition that is slowly fading away. If you're looking for a classic Range experience, drive out to Chisholm and check this out. If you're a single lady who likes older, vaguely ethnic men, you will have your pick of dance partners.

By the by, the headline is a throwback to one I actually wrote for the Hibbing Daily Tribune in 2002 based on my interpretation of how polka songs sound. The headline was widely misunderstood, but it remains one of my favorites. OOM PA PA, indeed!

'Tangled Up in Ore: Bob Dylan and the Iron Range'

Dylan Days starts today. There's plenty going on in Hibbing these next four days, but I'd like to point out the special Bob Dylan exhibit that opens today at Ironworld in nearby Chisholm. As Dylan Days co-chair, I played a role in the early stages of this project. But the hard work and vision came from the professional staff at Ironworld. I can't think of a better way to open Dylan Days. Open until Aug. 3, "Tangled Up in Ore: Bob Dylan and the Iron Range" offers an interactive exhibit and summer-long arts and interpretive programming. It's a must see.

Last night, Ironworld hosted a "1963"-themed preview for Ironworld members, dignitaries and people who helped with the exhibit. About 150 people gathered and the outcome of all the hard work was apparent in the quality of this exhibit. Everyone involved has a lot to be proud of. Anyway interested in how a guy like Bob Dylan could come from a place like the Iron Range should plan to see this exhibit, preferably this weekend during Dylan Days but certainly any time this summer during the exhibit's May 22-Aug. 3 run.

Tuesday's Hibbing Daily Tribune released a special Dylan Days section and ran a story yesterday profiling "Tangled Up in Ore."

Today's Duluth News-Tribune, from the front page to the "Wave" section, includes stories about Dylan Days and "Tangled Up in Ore." Ann Klefstad interviewed Mike Ricci and me about Dylan Days and the creative writing/playwright contest. It was a very nice story, though the early Dylan tapes I heard referenced in the story were of Dylan alone and not the Golden Chords; and several of my quotes might get me in trouble ... for the record I (heart) Hibbing's city fathers and really do want to stress the significance of Dylan's admission to the Hibbing Historical Society Hall of Service and Achievement. But still, it's amazing how much good press Dylan Days keeps getting each year and how many new community partners join in.

Welcome to Dylan Days! Come on down (or up) to Hibbing for good times in the heart of the Mesabi Iron Range.

Dylan Days announces schedule for May 22-25, 2008

If you didn't know, I am the co-chair and volunteer media coordinator for Dylan Days in Hibbing -- a celebration of the Iron Range's most famous son, Bob Dylan, and the arts community of the region. We've recently posted our schedule for the 2008 event which runs May 22-25 (perhaps you caught my blatant sales pitch in my last column). Check it out.

Highlights include the opening of an exhibit at Ironworld called "Tangled Up in Ore," which will highlight the connection between Bob Dylan and the Iron Range, a new one-act playwright contest which will lead to the winning play produced on the Hibbing Community College stage during the event, and all our regular events such as the Literary Showcase, singer/songwriter contest, bus tour of Dylan's Hibbing and more.

Tickets for the Ramblin' Jack Elliott concert go on sale today. You need to reserve a spot if you want to take the Bob Dylan bus tour, join the free writing workshop or participate in the singer/songwriter contest. Otherwise, just show up, buy a pin and program and the rest is free and open to the public.

Dylan Days wins grant for Iron Range Bob Dylan exhibit

One of my pet projects is Dylan Days, an annual arts event in Hibbing run by an initiative called "Dylan Arts Celebration," which I co-chair. Kelly Grinsteinner of the Hibbing Daily Tribune reported Sunday about our recent $10,000 grant from Iron Range Resources' Culture and Tourism program to create exhibit material for an upcoming Bob Dylan/Iron Range showcase at Ironworld. We plan to use that same exhibit material to create a permenant tribute to Dylan in his hometown of Hibbing within the next few years.

For more information: www.dylandays.com

From the Tribune:

The Hibbing Arts Council will receive $10,000 to create permanent pieces of a Bob Dylan exhibit in conjunction with an upcoming Ironworld showcase and the annual Dylan Days celebration.

Aaron Brown of the Dylan Arts Celebration explained that new pieces would be preserved following the exhibit at Ironworld with the intent to someday make them part of a permanent place in Hibbing.

“Our organization’s long-range goal is to establish a permanent Dylan site, we’re hoping, in Hibbing over the next couple of years,” he said, while noting that the group’s short-term goal of establishing a successful celebration has already been achieved.

Exhibit items could include local memorabilia of Dylan’s time in Hibbing, items on loan from personal collections and audio and visual productions.

“Dylan tourism is an underappreciated thing on the Iron Range,” said Brown. “The Ironworld exhibit will allow us to gauge interest and give us insight to what a permanent exhibit may look like. This hasn’t been done on the Range before, so it should be a big draw.”

This year’s Dylan Days will be celebrated May 22-25. The exhibit at Ironworld is slated to open May 22.

Iron Range Obama press conference called

The latest on the Obama/Iron Range front. I'll be in Duluth for a prior commitment but anyone interested should check this out.

Barack Obama's Iron Range Leadership Committee Roll Out

Press Conference
Saturday, February 2
NOON
Ironworld in Chisholm
The Rudy Perpich Room

Featuring:

Co-Chairs
Rep. Tony Sertich
Rep. Tom Anzelc

New look at Ironworld

For those interested, Ironworld is going through some changes this year. Check out the Hibbing Daily Tribune story. Dylan Days -- one of my many side projects -- is working with Ironworld to put together a Dylan exhibit next May. Stay tuned for this and potentially even more exciting news.