UMRA’s April 2023 luncheon forum featured Scott Gillespie, editorial page editor and vice president of the Star Tribune. He provided an insightful and educational look at how the Star Tribune produces editorials and chooses the “op-ed” commentaries it publishes on the page opposite the editorials. The event drew nearly 100 attendees, including many newcomers to UMRA.

Gillespie commented on several current University matters and controversies. This was followed by a lively question-and-answer session during which he was candid and thoughtful. It was a rollicking forum that was set in motion by retired Star Tribune editorial writer and columnist Lori Sturdevant, who is an inveterate watcher of the University and the Minnesota Legislature. She introduced Gillespie and gave us a sense of the intellectual back-and-forth that occurs among the nine members of the Star Tribune editorial board.

Gillespie began by emphasizing the distinction between opinion and news. He likened it to the separation of church and state. Unlike online comments, the opinion pages are a place for “thoughtfully curated disagreement about real issues,” he said. The Star Tribune strives to include voices from all over the state and reflect a marketplace of ideas. In Gillespie’s view, exposure to new and even disagreeable ideas makes the community better.

Editorials typically represent the institutional view of the Star Tribune and are written by the members of the editorial board—not news journalists—and have no bylines. One example he offered was a January 21 editorial urging University President Joan Gabel to drop her involvement with Securian Financial. She did eventually drop her participation.

Gillespie also highlighted some long, special reports—on underfunded Bureau of Indian Education schools, vaccinations, Minnesota’s growing rural-metro divide, vaccinations, and mining in the state—that reflect the institutional position of the Star Tribune and were prepared by the editorial board.

Scott Gillespie encouraged our members to submit letters and commentaries on topics of interest or reflecting the considerable expertise of our membership.

He encouraged those attending the forum to submit letters to the editor and commentaries. Letters are limited to 300 words. They reflect reader opinions and add insight from our community. The Star Tribune typically gets about 100 per day, although on “newsy” days it can be in the hundreds (plural), he said.

Commentaries are limited to 700 words, include bylines, and need to be written—not just signed—by the author. They need to be well written with a clear point of view, reflect expertise, and be based on solid data. His examples were a recent commentary urging support for the University’s legislative requests and a piece addressing the question What Should Teachers do with ChatGPT?

In a fun and far-ranging question-and-answer session, Gillespie commented on the proposed Fairview-Sanford merger, which he characterized as a dangerous road to travel that requires care and close scrutiny. He also described the many changes in the newspaper business which have led to downsizing throughout the country of both news and editorial staff; and acknowledged Glenn Taylor, owner of the Star Tribune, for his support of the paper and his respect for the news/opinion distinction.

When asked, Gillespie commented on the search for an interim University president and suggested that Myron Frans might be given serious consideration. Frans is the current chief financial officer, chief operations officer, and treasurer of the University and was formerly the Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget in the Walz administration. Gillespie voiced concern that the University was in a difficult position because the current legislative session is the appropriation session, and the University has submitted many important funding requests. He said Frans is a numbers guy who is well regarded by the Legislature and might be able to bolster the University’s funding requests.

Our thanks to Scott Gillespie and Lori Sturdevant for a great forum that was both educational and entertaining. Don’t forget to submit your letters and commentaries to the Star Tribune.

—Bill Donohue, UMRA Program Committee