CORRECTED to show use of Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, not FOIA.
Word is that KSTP has submitted a Freedom of Information request (Minnesota Government Data Practices Act request) to Iron Range Resources for all e-mail correspondence between board members, staff and administration regarding Ironworld. Don’t worry; I didn’t get this in an e-mail.
So not only is the station sticking to it’s inaccurate, unfair and deeply perplexing “investigative” piece from July 7, they are following up on it.
This is standard operating procedure for KSTP in covering anything involving a public agency. Sensationalize a story and then submit a FOIA (information request) to play “gotcha.” No one up here is hiding anything, so I think KSTP will find a lot of e-mails that will indicate they were wrong, will misunderstand them and report something else wrong to make themselves look credible. Just a prediction on my part.
My other theory is that KSTP’s half-conservative, half-vacuous news leadership found some kind of masochistic pleasure in the Iron Range backlash they got from their original piece and now they’re back for more kinks. I’ll be watching; but of course, that’s what this is all about.
Love them or hate them, their advertisers don’t care as long as people are watching. They thank you for your help in building an audience.