Nick Coleman (columnist)
Encyclopedia
Disambiguation: for the Minnesota politician, see Nicholas D. Coleman
.
Nicholas J. (Nick) Coleman (born June 26, 1950 in Saint Paul, Minnesota
) is a veteran Minnesota journalist and columnist for the Star Tribune
, the daily newspaper published in Minneapolis, Minnesota
. Coleman is on his second stint at the Star Tribune, having begun his career there in 1973 before becoming a news columnist at the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 1986. He returned to the Star Tribune in 2003.
Coleman has published more than 3,000 newspaper columns and 300 television commentaries on subjects such as politics, Native American issues and the Northern Ireland peace process, as well as hosting two radio talk shows. In his 35-year newspaper career, Coleman has reported on Minneapolis city government, business, out-of-state issues, media, editorial and general news.
Coleman has worked almost equally for the St. Paul and Minneapolis newspapers -- 18 years at the Star Tribune in two different stints (1973-86 and 2003-present) and 17 years at the Pioneer Press (1986-2003). He returned to the Star Tribune in November, 2003, as a Metro News columnist.
Thematically, Coleman alternates among a handful of topics. He is fanatical about crime, corporate subsidies (especially as embodied by the new Twins stadium), Indian nicknames, the 35W Bridge collapse, and the defunding of public education and social programs.
He has engaged in rhetorical feuds with other Twin Cities writers and bloggers, and others who publicly critique his work. In 2004 Coleman criticized the role of local Power Line
bloggers in the Dan Rather
/Killian documents
controversy. An exchange ensued for some weeks in local print and on the internet. The spats he initiated with local writer Steve Marsh and New York University
Professor Jay Rosen
spilled out onto the internet as well.
Coleman has done regular TV commentaries for KTCA-TV and KMSP-TV, and hosted talk radio shows in the Twin Cities, including a weekly show for 10 years at KSTP-AM. In 2005 he was briefly a morning host at Air America Radio
’s affiliate in the Twin Cities. His engagement at Air America ended after a feud with management, with Coleman unsatisfied with the centrist positioning of the station by its owner, Janet Roberts.
From 2009 to 2010, Coleman served as a fellow at the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy & Civic Engagement at St. John’s University. However, St. John’s dismissed Coleman after several donors objected to his liberal opinion columns.
Coleman is the eldest child of the late Nicholas D. (Nick) Coleman
, who served as majority leader
of the Minnesota Senate
from 1973 to 1981, and Bridget Finnegan. He is also the oldest brother and godfather of Mayor Chris Coleman
of St. Paul and was the stepson of Deborah Howell
, ombudsman for the Washington Post. Howell was editor of the Pioneer Press when Coleman was hired there in 1986.
Coleman was educated in Catholic schools in St. Paul, and at the University of Minnesota, where he was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Minnesota Daily. Coleman is six feet tall and has a concealed handgun carry permit. His second wife is freelance writer and former Pioneer Press columnist Laura Billings (born 1967). The couple have three children.
Nicholas D. Coleman
Nicholas Daniel Coleman was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.Born in Cynthiana, Kentucky, Coleman attended the grammar and high schools.He was graduated from Transylvania College, Lexington, Kentucky.He studied law....
.
Nicholas J. (Nick) Coleman (born June 26, 1950 in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
) is a veteran Minnesota journalist and columnist for the Star Tribune
Star Tribune
The Star Tribune is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is published seven days each week in an edition for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. A statewide version is also available across Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The...
, the daily newspaper published in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. Coleman is on his second stint at the Star Tribune, having begun his career there in 1973 before becoming a news columnist at the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 1986. He returned to the Star Tribune in 2003.
Coleman has published more than 3,000 newspaper columns and 300 television commentaries on subjects such as politics, Native American issues and the Northern Ireland peace process, as well as hosting two radio talk shows. In his 35-year newspaper career, Coleman has reported on Minneapolis city government, business, out-of-state issues, media, editorial and general news.
Coleman has worked almost equally for the St. Paul and Minneapolis newspapers -- 18 years at the Star Tribune in two different stints (1973-86 and 2003-present) and 17 years at the Pioneer Press (1986-2003). He returned to the Star Tribune in November, 2003, as a Metro News columnist.
Thematically, Coleman alternates among a handful of topics. He is fanatical about crime, corporate subsidies (especially as embodied by the new Twins stadium), Indian nicknames, the 35W Bridge collapse, and the defunding of public education and social programs.
He has engaged in rhetorical feuds with other Twin Cities writers and bloggers, and others who publicly critique his work. In 2004 Coleman criticized the role of local Power Line
Power Line
Power Line is an American political blog, providing news and commentary from a conservative point-of-view. It was originally written by three lawyers who attended Dartmouth College together: John H. Hinderaker, Scott W. Johnson, and Paul Mirengoff...
bloggers in the Dan Rather
Dan Rather
Daniel Irvin "Dan" Rather, Jr. is an American journalist and the former news anchor for the CBS Evening News. He is now managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine Dan Rather Reports on the cable channel HDNet. Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9,...
/Killian documents
Killian documents
The Killian documents controversy involved six documents critical of President George W. Bush's service in the Air National Guard in 1972–73...
controversy. An exchange ensued for some weeks in local print and on the internet. The spats he initiated with local writer Steve Marsh and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
Professor Jay Rosen
Jay Rosen
Jay Rosen is a media critic, a writer, and a professor of journalism at New York University.Rosen has been on the journalism faculty at New York University since 1986; from 1999 to 2005 he served as chair of the Department.He has been one of the earliest advocates and supporters of citizen...
spilled out onto the internet as well.
Coleman has done regular TV commentaries for KTCA-TV and KMSP-TV, and hosted talk radio shows in the Twin Cities, including a weekly show for 10 years at KSTP-AM. In 2005 he was briefly a morning host at Air America Radio
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
’s affiliate in the Twin Cities. His engagement at Air America ended after a feud with management, with Coleman unsatisfied with the centrist positioning of the station by its owner, Janet Roberts.
From 2009 to 2010, Coleman served as a fellow at the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy & Civic Engagement at St. John’s University. However, St. John’s dismissed Coleman after several donors objected to his liberal opinion columns.
Coleman is the eldest child of the late Nicholas D. (Nick) Coleman
Nick Coleman
This article is about the Minnesota politician. For the former Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist, see: Nick ColemanNicholas David "Nick" Coleman was a Minnesota politician and a former member and majority leader of the Minnesota Senate. A Democrat, he was first elected in 1962 and reelected in...
, who served as majority leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
of the Minnesota Senate
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
from 1973 to 1981, and Bridget Finnegan. He is also the oldest brother and godfather of Mayor Chris Coleman
Chris Coleman (politician)
Christopher "Chris" B. Coleman is a Minnesota politician and the mayor of St. Paul. He defeated incumbent mayor Randy Kelly in 2005 and took office on January 3, 2006.- Family and early career :...
of St. Paul and was the stepson of Deborah Howell
Deborah Howell
Deborah Howell was a long-time newswoman and editor who served for three years as the ombudsman for The Washington Post.Howell is a Board Member In Memoriam at the IWMF ....
, ombudsman for the Washington Post. Howell was editor of the Pioneer Press when Coleman was hired there in 1986.
Coleman was educated in Catholic schools in St. Paul, and at the University of Minnesota, where he was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Minnesota Daily. Coleman is six feet tall and has a concealed handgun carry permit. His second wife is freelance writer and former Pioneer Press columnist Laura Billings (born 1967). The couple have three children.