Star Tribune

U.S. center-left

Background

The paper traces its roots to the Minneapolis Tribune, founded in 1867, and the rival Minneapolis Daily Star, founded in 1920. The Cowles family acquired the Tribune in 1941 and eventually controlled both papers, which merged in 1982 to form the Minneapolis Star and Tribune, renamed the Star Tribune in 1987. McClatchy Newspapers bought the paper in 1998 for roughly $1.4 billion, then sold it in 2006 for $530 million to Avista Capital Partners, a New York private equity firm. Burdened by debt and falling ad revenue, the Star Tribune filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009. Glen Taylor, a Republican-leaning businessman and owner of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, purchased it out of bankruptcy in 2014 and has kept it operating as a regional broadsheet. In June 2026, the paper laid off roughly 15 percent of its staff and announced it was exploring a nonprofit foundation ownership structure similar to the Philadelphia Inquirer model. The paper won a 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News for its coverage of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Despite its owner's Republican ties, the editorial board has maintained a center-left orientation, endorsing Democratic presidential nominees since 1984.

Sources

1. The Minnesota Star Tribune – Wikipedia
2. Star Tribune Media Bias – AllSides
3. Minnesota Star Tribune – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
4. The Minnesota Star Tribune Bias and Reliability – Ad Fontes Media
5. Minnesota Star Tribune cuts jobs and pursues nonprofit ownership structure
6. The Minnesota Star Tribune will cut 15% of its staff — and may become a nonprofit – Nieman Journalism Lab
7. Minnesota Star Tribune Announces 15 Percent Workforce Cut Weeks After Pulitzer Win – NBC Palm Springs
8. Our Heritage – Star Tribune Company

Profile compiled 2026-07-16; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

← Back to track record