Minneapolis Star Tribune: Strike Coverage Pro-Corporate?

[Eric J in MN]

A letter in the August 30, 2005 Minneapolis Star Tribune criticizes its coverage of the Northwest Airlines mechanics' strike:

PR by Star Tribune

I wonder if it's possible that Northwest is "winning the spin battle," as an Aug. 25 headline claimed, because corporate apologists like the Star Tribune print Northwest press releases as front-page news, and bury the real story in the Business section?

"Smooth flying, some bumps," an Aug. 23 A1 headline stated; "Customers are stuck absorbing strike's impact" on page D1 a day later.

The second story contains actual, independently gathered, on-time, delayed and canceled flight information; the first contains a speculative airline-sponsored scenario.

For a so-called "liberal media" newspaper, the Star Tribune's corporate bias is all over this story.

Guy Strauss, Minneapolis.

The paper also uses the term "replacement mechanics" instead of scabs. Perhaps the former is more neutral.

The article on spin referred to in the letter is here.

Editorials by the Star Tribune tend to take liberal positions more often than conservative positions (they endorsed Kerry over Bush) which may be why the letter-writer used the term "liberal media."

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. What I have not seen in the Strib is background on one reason WHY

Northwest is in such financial trouble.

According to an acquaintance who has worked on legal matters for various airlines, all the majors borrowed heavily in the swinging '80s in order to acquire other, smaller airlines (NW acquired Republic, Delta acquired Western, Piedmont, and Southern, etc.), and now the bills are coming due, with the extra whammy of oil prices and the sharp drop in business travel after 9/11.

[wli]

2. of course it's pro-corporate and far right wing, it's the media n/t