Mike Klingensmith was recruited home to Minneapolis in 2010 to lead the Star Tribune shortly after its investment-fund lenders bought it out of bankruptcy protection. He had spent the previous 32 years in leadership roles at Time Inc., in New York, including as Entertainment Weekly’s founding publisher and Sports Illustrated’s president.
At a time of technological upheaval, industry consolidation and vast downsizing, Klingensmith, as publisher, retained the Star Tribune’s newsroom staff of about 230 journalists and led it to outperform other regional news organizations. While other legacy newspapers were cutting products and staff, the Star Tribune launched new sections, a magazine and multimedia products.
It also developed new revenue streams with digital subscriptions, digital marketing services and contract printing while maintaining print circulation at a superior rate to any other regional metro. The company produced operating profits each year and won three Pulitzer Prizes during Klingensmith’s tenure, which ended with his retirement in January.
