Prompts winter weather advisories as cold air moves in Friday night

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

The much-loved Twin Cities alternative paper City Pages 

 after its parent company the Star Tribune Media Company said it was no longer financially viable.

Now several former City Pages editors are launching a new digital news publication called 

Host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Jay Boller, one of the four staff members at Racket. Boller discussed the need for alternative news sources in Minnesota and the staff’s goals for Racket.

Read highlights from the interview below, and listen to the whole conversation by using the audio player above.

Editor’s note: The quotes have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

On why it’s important to have an alternative publication in the Twin Cities:

We want to fill the void that City Pages left, which we feel is considerable… Bringing that legacy into the future is the mission statement.

There’s a real reader demand for a type of news that doesn’t really fit the boilerplate definitions of what a newspaper sounds like. … It’s to check power balances. It’s to keep institutions on their toes, including other news organizations. And just kind of being that pesky force that is beholden to no one.

We’re hoping, praying that there is a demand with people in the Twin Cities market. … Our model will be majority reader-funded. It’s a subscription model. It starts out very cheap, mostly five to 10 dollars a month. … We’re really just hoping readers find the value in that and can support us.  

On Racket’s place in the Minnesota media ecosystem:

I think it’s really exciting to be part of that new wave of digital journalism that breaks away from traditional models. In terms of what we bring, I think that humor is a big element of that. Arts coverage is a huge element of that. We really believe truly that there is enough room for everyone right now.

Arts and Culture

Shows

Morning Edition

Cathy Wurzer

Host

Samantha Matsumoto

Author

Several former City Page editors are launching a new digital news publication called 

Several former City Page editors are launching a new digital news publication called Racket, officially launching August 18.


MPR News - Newscast - The much-loved Twin Cities alternative paper City Pages shut down abruptly last fall, after its parent company the Star Tribune Media Company said it was no longer financially viable. Now, several former City Page editors are launching a new digital news publication called Racket. Racket will officially launch August 18.

MPR News - Newscast - Former City Pages editors launch new Twin Cities publication

A City Pages rack sat next to the Star Tribune.

Former City Pages editors launch new Twin Cities publication

Go Deeper.

Like this?