April 28, 2014

A chunk of The (Minneapolis, Minn.) Star Tribune sits on the desk of Eric Ringham, editor of Minnesota Public Radio. Monday, Ringham wrote about that building, which will soon be demolished, the giant medallions out front and the message the two sent.

And that’s the point: In those days, newspaper publishers weren’t shy about letting the world know whose side they were on. The medallions on the building’s facade celebrated Minnesota, just as the giant globe in the building’s lobby celebrated Minnesota’s connection to the world. The celebration wasn’t lost on the hundreds of employees who passed through the doors every day.

It sounds corny, but a building like that made a guy square his shoulders a little when he showed up for work in the morning. It reminded him that he was working for something more than a paycheck — a good thing, too, considering what he probably thought of the paycheck.

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Kristen Hare is Poynter's director of craft and local news. She teaches local journalists the critical skills they need to serve and cover their communities.…
Kristen Hare

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