Who is Keith Hansen? Where’d he come from? He’s been writing a lot of editorials that have some up in arms and others cheering from the sidelines.
Many readers have been asking questions and some even believe that the name is fictitious and someone has been ghost writing Brainerd Dispatch opinions over the last month or so.
Well, to set the record straight, I am Keith Hansen, a native of Cloquet, Minn., and a graduate of Northwest University, Kirkland, Wash., and Minnesota State University-Moorhead.
I have been selected to serve, not as the editor of the Dispatch, but rather, as the Vice President of Audience Development.
Huh? That’s a digital-era title for what was once known as the editor. However, my duties are different than a traditional editor.
The Brainerd Dispatch is owned by Morris Media, a digital-first company. Simply stated, Morris believes that the digital presentation of news is the future of this business. It’s hard to disagree with that premise when the most recent release of the new iPad generated record sales of 3 million units in the first three days. The newest Apple release was available to an eagerly waiting public. A generation is turning to the Internet in droves for its news.
Print remains our main staple at the Dispatch. However, the rise of a digital presence has given us opportunities to present the news, sports, weather and feature stories in a matter of seconds from when it breaks. Now, our reporters’ and photographers’ use of digital video and tweets are downloadable instantly for our readers.
This digital format affords our readers and viewers instant access to news as it’s happening via an iPhone, our e-edition of the Dispatch and soon from an iPad. That means snowbirds, or lakehome owners can access the news from their primary residence — instantly.
One has to conclude that newspapers are no longer viewed as print media only. Digitally, our staff at the Dispatch will be presenting a variety of formats, using video, podcasts (sports podcasts are currently available), and live broadcasting from sites around the region.
Our talented staff will continue to develop new methods of presenting the area’s news to each person subscribing to or buying a single copy of the Dispatch. These enhanced methods of presenting the news, advertising and photographs should provide our audiences with a greater understanding of the world around us.
As the vice president of audience development, I see my job as that of bridging print to digital for the various audiences of the Brainerd Dispatch.
So, what qualifies me to sit in this position? Well, I have owned 11 newspapers, a handful of magazines, including Wildlife Art (an internationally circulated publication). I have published the Lodi (Wis.) Enterprise, the Spooner (Wis.) Advocate, Sawyer County (Hayward, Wis.) Record, the North Weld Herald and Windsor (Colo.) Beacon, Ramona (Calif.) Sentinel, Cloquet (Minn.) Journal, Hermantown (Minn.) Star, Isanti-Chisago (Minn.) County Star (owned by NorthStar Media), Evergreen Shopping Guide, San Diego County Equine Exchange, Lifestyles (Calif.), Ramona Sentinel Magazine, and other shoppers. During my tenure as publisher of those publications, the newest technology was introduced into the mix to enhance each publication. Overall, the publications under my leadership were recognized by state and national peers for excellence.
My position at the Dispatch is to raise an awareness of issues that are impacting our area on a city, county, state, national and international level. In an ever-shrinking world, our readers must be aware of news down the street and around the world to be informed citizens.
On a personal note, I have been married to my childhood friend, Tricia for 35 years. We have three grown children — Carrie, a teacher at White Bear Lake, and her husband Andrew Carlson is employed by the PGA at TPC in Blaine, and they have two sons, Noah and Isaac; Erica is a marketing director for a large construction company in Costa Mesa, Calif., and is married to Scott Foster, a pastor at Bethany Church, Long Beach, Calif., and they are anticipating the birth of their first child in April; and Alisa, a medical technician in Albuquerque, N.M., is married to Marshall Bowland, a member of the United States Air Force.
The Brainerd Dispatch will continue its efforts to connect you to our community, our state, our nation, and the world wherever you are on this great planet.
Comments (33)
Add commentI wrote
rabid right with no indication of who I was talking about. If you feel that it was you...
I attacked Mr. Hansen's writing and "original" opinion pieces. Since they are opinion pieces that seem to come straight from one of the far-right talking heads, it would certainly seem that the shoe fits those on the rabid right.
I have never seen anything in the Dispatch that goes this far to the rabid left. Yes, I will admit there is a rabid left (or a loony left, if you prefer) but they typically do not see any press whatsoever.
It's so funny
watching Hypocrisy 101 being taught right here for free. Please continue with your version of Saturday Night Live.
chuckle
The pendulum is going to swing left soon....
"In the past, the opinion pieces were many times lackluster, but at least they were original and written by people who actually live here and know the area. They oftentimes straddled party lines and landed in the less glamorous -- yet more populated -- middle where most people live. The new array of opinion pieces seem more concerned with placating the rabid on the far right (of which there are few, but they seem to be the loudest and most crass) while angering those who lean left."
That is exactly right, snackfu. Morris has made a decision to bring in someone with clear far right/tea party like views. This pleases those like fair and balanced, but what those people don't know is going to bite them.
The Dispatch editorials may have been viewed as left leaning by some in the past, but snackfu was right. They at least tried to link to local opinion after taking that pulse from readers--or quite often fell somewhere near the middle.
The Dispatch is abandoning that way of operating. Hansen's articles could just as well have been pulled from political talking points from those on the far right. They will follow that with commentaries JUST AS FAR TO THE LEFT.
The gloves are off, their former desire to try to present some balance or take the pulse of a community is gone--like the vitriol we see on TV and elsewhere these days.
Hansen is their designated Rush Limbaugh. I have to agree he has impeccable credentials for that role.
Someone will come along shortly to be their Ed Schultz/Keith Olberman. FNB if you think the dispatch leaned to the left before, you ain't seen nothing yet!
Not a positive development I think. We can find such polarized views with little local tie in elsewhere. I have to think that advertisers will be concerned when they get blasted by readers from both sides as well.