The Star Press?

Maybe the bankruptcy of the Star Tribune newspaper means the end of the Pioneer Press brand. Maybe not.

MPR’s Martin Moylan’s story on this week’s bankruptcy filing of the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune documents the likelihood of this two-newspaper town becoming a one-newspaper town:

“Bankruptcy is often used to effectuate a sale. That is not out of the realm of possibility. I’m not too sure if those arrangements have been explored. But I can assure you the lenders have given it thought,” (bankruptcy attorney george singer said. The most logical buyer of the Star Tribune would seem to be Media News, which runs the smaller Pioneer Press.

If that happens, which name lives? The Pioneer Press? The Star Tribune? The Star Press? The Pioneer Tribune? The Pioneer Press Star Tribune?

Of course, that’s a big if. The company that owns the Pioneer Press — Media News — has its own financial struggles. And its competition in another two-newspaper town may be drawing its immediate attention.

Any combination of the two local papers would most certainly result in some lost jobs at both locations. It may well be that hopes for a healthy Star Tribune, may be highest in the cubicles at its local competition.