Twin Cities Metro mag to close
The September issue of Twin Cities Metro magazine will be its last.
Metro Editor-in-Chief Dana Raidt told MPR News that the magazine's staff found out Tuesday that owner Tiger Oak Media was shuttering the publication.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Raidt said she was told that the six-year-old magazine wasn't "financially viable" for Tiger Oak Media, which runs about 30 publications in a dozen regions.
"It doesn't always work out that a really great product makes money, especially in this economy and with print the way it is," Raidt said. "I understand why they made the decision. I'm obviously really disappointed and sad about it."
Metro employed four full-time staff, two part-time contract editors and a spate of freelancers. Raidt said some employees could find work at one of Tiger Oak Media's other publications, although details haven't yet been hammered out.
In a statement, Tiger Oak Media President R. Craig Bednar said that the company appreciated the "vivacity and urban flair" of the magazine.
"Yet at the same time, our company is coming back from the recession poised for growth, and we're excited to be focusing our efforts on the successes we're seeing," Bednar said.
The magazine mixed reviews of dining and entertainment with essays and profiles. Metro's August issue featured a pet guide. But also contained a story about gender inequality in the Twin Cities.
Raidt said working at Metro was a "dream job."
"We're in the production process for September right now," Raidt said. "We're just going to still give it our all and make a really good magazine."
(Image courtesy of Metro magazine)