[Mpls] Skyway News to become Downtown Journal

[David Brauer]

David Strand writes:
 
> I think the proposed name changes erases connection to
> place.  The phrase "skyway" ties the paper to a
> relatively unique feature of Minneapolis' and
> St.Paul's downtowns.  "downtown journal" could be
> anywhere while "skyway news" seems more connected to a
> unique and distinctive feautre of the twin cities
> downtowns.

Two points:

First, our skyways are far from unique. As with enclosed malls, we may have
been first, but many towns now have them (my old hometown of Des Moines, for
example). 

Second, the "unique" feature is too limiting for what we now cover, and have
covered for the past four years. Our territory is much bigger than the
skyway system, and frankly, the current name misleads many readers. In
short, the name "Skyway News" is distinctive but inaccurate.

(It will remain as a section name inside the paper, for coverage of news and
events within the Central Business District, and for workplace- and
worker-related stories.)

> Is the paper going to focus on only one of the
> downtowns from now on?

Actually, we only cover Minneapolis, and have since 2001. (No way would any
Minneapolis reader automatically know that, though...)

By the way, I appreciate the fact that folks care enough to comment, even
negatively. I should say that I've never heard complaints about Southwest
Journal, as indistinctive as that's been since 1990.

Brauer's first rule of redesigns is, "give it a year." Change can be
disorienting, but sometimes only in the short term.

Also, the best newspaper name in town in the Minneapolis Observer. Although
sometimes I think Craig is more of a participant!

David Brauer
Kingfield
Editor, Skyway News and Southwest Journal