By: The Star Tribune of Minneapolis, Minn., on Thursday launched a free weekly publication aimed at younger readers who are spurning more traditional newspapers.
Called Vita.mn, the entertainment-focused publication targets readers aged 25 to 34. The Star Tribune plans to distribute 50,000 copies weekly to 800 locations, most of them inside the Interstate 494/694 beltway around the Twin Cities.
"We think Vita.mn will allow us to connect with audiences that may not be reading the paper every day," said Monica Moses, the Star Tribune's executive director for product innovation.
The Star Tribune is following the example of other newspapers like the Chicago Tribune, which targets younger readers with its free daily tabloid, RedEye.
Recent years have seen tough times for the newspaper business, as the Internet siphons off readers and gives advertisers other options. To lure readers who may have flocked to the Internet, Vita.mn also launched a Web site of the same name a few weeks ago that will have close links to the print version.
Besides reviews of everything from theater and live music to restaurants and art, Vita.mn will feature a relationship columnist, as well as coverage of fashion and video games.
Intended to be a quick read, Vita.mn is "for people on the go looking for what's going on tonight while they're eating a slice of pizza," said its editor, Simon Peter Groebner. "It's a snapshot of what's going on in the Twin Cities."
The Star Tribune is owned by Sacramento, Calif.-based McClatchy Co. The newspaper has a circulation of about 380,000 daily and 666,700 on Sundays.
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