Outlet profile

Star Tribune

U.S. center-left (editorial page); newsroom mainstream metro

Owned byPrivately owned by Glen Taylor, a Minnesota billionaire who also owns the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx (sold NBA/WNBA control to new owners in 2025). Taylor has said he wants to move the company under a foundation or nonprofit structure.

FundingMainly subscriptions (print and digital) and advertising, backed by Taylor's private ownership. The company laid off about 15% of staff (around 65 employees) in June 2026 and is considering a nonprofit ownership model.

On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

The Star Tribune traces its roots to 1867 and took its current form through the merger of the Minneapolis Star and Tribune in the 1980s. It was owned for years by Cowles Media, then McClatchy (1998–2006), then private equity firm Avista Capital Partners, and went through bankruptcy in 2009. Glen Taylor, owner of the Timberwolves and Lynx, bought it in 2014, and Michael Klingensmith led it as publisher until retiring in 2022. In 2024 the paper rebranded as the Minnesota Star Tribune and hired former New York Times editor Kathleen Hennessey as its top editor. The editorial board works separately from the newsroom, has historically endorsed Democrats for president (for example Hillary Clinton in 2016), and in 2025–2026 has published editorials criticizing Trump's rhetoric toward Somalis, federal overreach, and ICE tactics. Its 2026 coverage included extensive reporting on federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. In 2026 it announced layoffs and explored nonprofit ownership, and Taylor's allies' political activity (such as a top executive's support for a Republican candidate) has drawn some scrutiny. Critics on the right see the paper as liberal-leaning, while its newsroom generally follows traditional news standards.

Sources

Profile compiled 2026-10-15; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

← Back to track record